Thanks to a little help from Mom, Dad, and Lucy, the store was in perfect order a few minutes before seven, and as soon as the last customer checked out, we turned off the light, set the alarm, and headed out, with Marcus joining us outside.
Mayhem and Taco led the way as the six of us headed toward my house. Reeves had left quietly a while ago, and with my assurance that Lucy was in good hands, Tuck had said he and Watson had to go take care of police business. Both of them looked very stern and very concerned as they left, but they’d also both said they’d come by my house for some good food as soon as they could.
Everyone else was on their way over, too, with their own dishes to contribute although I was disappointed to hear that Lucas had not been able to reup his cupcake supply for the evening. However, the promise of homemade tiramisu was almost a suitable substitute. I would miss that buttercream icing though.
Mart had gotten home in time to light the charcoal grill so that Walter could get the burgers and hot dogs on, and Stephen was already set up to bartend at the kitchen island. Elle had brought a massive green salad for us to share, and Henri and Bear had cleaned out the potato chip aisle. When Pickle and Woody showed up with a watermelon, it felt like we were ready for a full-on barbecue. Marcus had even managed to rustle up a jar of pickles as his contribution, and Rocky had toted along a carafe of decaf for us to drink with dessert.
When Lu came a few minutes later, she had a pitcher of some sort of delicious fruit punch, and I saw Stephen’s eyes twinkle as he planned his mixers for the beverage. Mom had told me on our way over that she’d also invited Mindy Washington because she thought she would like to hear what, if anything, Tuck had to share about all the goings on, and I was glad she was coming, even if I still felt a little unclear why Mindy had hidden that book we were looking for.
Still, when Mindy arrived with a huge bowl of the most amazing potato salad I’d ever seen, I decided to let my suspicions go and just enjoy a good night with good friends. And so much good food. So much.
We’d all just made our plates and headed out to join the dogs in the backyard when Tuck and Watson came in. I smiled at them until I saw Reeves come in behind them. My smile quickly fell away as I studied the large man now standing at the edge of my kitchen.
My first instinct was to say, “What is he doing here?” but my Southern manners overruled my candor. Instead, I said, “Nice to see you three. Please help yourselves. We’re all going to the backyard.”
I wanted to linger to make sure this bully of a man didn’t torment Aslan or something, but from her perch on the top of the fridge, I figured Aslan could both protect herself and inflict some serious damage as Reeves passed by, seeing as how his head was within easy paw’s reach of her claws.
Stephen stayed inside and poured our latest arrivals their drinks of choice, and I saw he and Tuck talking briefly over the island. I imagined Stephen was trying to ply him with his punch-infused drink that tasted both like a children’s juice box and vanilla cake, and if I knew Tuck, he and Watson were both refusing because they were still on duty. I lost interest in their alcohol-focused tête-à-tête though when I tasted Mindy’s potato salad. It was incredible, tangy and just the slightest bit sweet. “Is this celery?” I asked around a mouthful as I pointed to the librarian.
“It is,” Mindy said, “and the secret ingredient is turmeric.”
“It’s so good isn’t it?” Lucy said as she waved a forkful of her own in the air.
I couldn’t even be bothered to answer because I was so busy savoring the deliciousness.
Once all of us were seated in folding chairs under the lights in the backyard, a semi-comfortable silence descended. I imagined that we were all thinking about the fundraiser last night and also maybe Lippman’s signing. I wondered if anyone was as curious as I was to hear what Reeves had told Tuck.
But I didn’t have to wonder long because Mom said, “Okay, gentlemen, we’ve held our tongues long enough. What in the world is going on? We all saw your confab at the store. Spill.”
Most everyone looked at Mom with wonder, but I just leaned closer to Tuck as a way of emphasizing Mom’s question. I noticed that Marcus and Rocky bent forward, too. If I was too curious, I had friends who ranked right up there with me.
Tuck looked at Stephen and then at Lucy before he answered. “I’m only telling you this because we all need to work together to keep Lucy safe, okay?” He turned his gaze to me. “This information is not an invitation for you to get involved in trying to figure anything out. Understood?”
I wanted to feign innocence, but the mood of the gathering had grown instantly somber. I didn’t think making light of things was respectful given Tuck’s tone, so I simply nodded.
Tuck continued. “Lucy, forgive me for not talking with you about this privately, but time is of the essence in this situation.” He sat forward in his chair. “Is it Joe Cagle you’re afraid of?”
Lucy’s face blanched, and we had our answer before she even spoke. To her credit, though, she swallowed hard, met Tuck’s gaze and said, “Yes.”
“I thought so,” Reeves said as Tuck met his eyes. “I saw the two of you at the library the day Sidney died. It looked like you were terrified.” He stood up and walked over to Lucy before kneeling in the grass in front of her. “I should have said something then. I’m so sorry I didn’t.”
“You saw him threaten me?” Lucy blinked back tears.
“Is that what he did?” Reeves asked as a flush of purple red spread up his neck and into his face.
Lucy nodded.
“That bas—” Reeves started before Tuck cut him off.
“Lucy, can you please explain the whole story?” Tuck said as he took out his notebook. “We can go inside and talk privately if you’d prefer.”
Lucy took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, I think I’d like everyone here to know. You’ve all been so amazing.” She paused and then explained how she’d ended up “dating,” a term she used in air quotes, Joe Cagle, and how she’d tried to break it off only to have him threaten her if she did.
“I refused to see him, though, and so he told me he’d tell everyone I was a pedophile.” Lucy’s voice cracked, and a series of gasps echoed around the yard.
Mindy got up, carried her chair over, and sat down beside Lucy and held her hand. “That’s why you tried to destroy the note?”
Lucy said, “Yes, I had kept it as a sort of insurance because I guess some part of me knew that he was shifty or something. But that afternoon when he said he was going to report me to you,” she turned to Tuck, “I decided I was going to get rid of the note and just deal with the situation. Maybe move or something.”
Mindy shook her head but didn’t interrupt.
“But Sidney must have heard me talking on the phone. Joe was yelling, so I guess he could probably have heard him, too, because when I hung up, Sidney looked at me, set his jaw, and forced me to tell him what was going on.” Lucy’s voice grew quiet. “He was so kind, and it seemed like he was already putting two and two together. So I told him.” She broke down. “I put him in danger.”
Mart bolted upright in her chair. “No, you did not. Cagle did this, Lucy. Not you. You are not allowed to blame yourself for what he did. You hear me?”
“Right. You are not to blame,” I repeated and then listened as first Cate then Elle then Henri and finally Mindy said the same thing. For a brief moment I took the time to appreciate the strong, brave group of women who loved me and who I loved and hoped we could share some of that deep care with Lucy. She so needed it, as we all did.
As Lucy’s cries settled, Cate said, “So you told him where he could find the note?”
“I did,” Lucy said after taking a deep breath. “He marched right onto the floor to find it. That was the last time I saw him alive.” Another deep breath steadied her again as Cate hugged her close.
Tuck cleared his throat. “I hate to ask this, Lucy, but did you see what happened?”
She must have realized that what she was going to say here was crucial because Lucy sat up very straight and said, loud and clear, “I did.”
The spiral of emotions inside me was intense. I was thrilled that someone had witnessed Sidney’s death and horrified that someone had. I was glad that Lucy could help bring Cagle to justice, and I was terrified for what that meant for her. But none of what I felt mattered. This conversation was what needed to happen, and Lucy looked ready.
“I followed Sidney out, thinking I could help him find the book more quickly. Sidney must have seen the book or something because he went right to it on the sales table. He picked it up, slid the note out, and was about to put the book back when Cagle charged at him out of nowhere. I had been scanning the table around the corner, and I ducked behind the next set of shelves.” She put her hand to her heart. “I should have helped him.”
Watson slid to the very edge of his seat and said, “No, you did the right thing. You wouldn’t have stood a chance, and Cagle would have killed you and Sidney. You did the right thing. You survived.”
I studied Deputy Watson’s face and saw nothing but compassion there. He was good at this, and I could see why Tuck trusted him with so much.
“Take your time, Lucy,” Tuck said. “When you’re ready.”
Lucy took another deep breath and continued. “Sidney was totally surprised, and Joe must have been much stronger than him because before I knew it, Joe had his hands around Sidney’s neck.” Lucy rubbed the center of her chest. “It was over before I knew it, and then Joe slid him under the table and started to look around.”
“For the note,” I said.
Lucy turned her gaze to me. “I think so, but then, he must have heard you coming because he ran around the back of the library past me, but he didn’t see me.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, but I was so scared.”
“You grabbed the note?” Stephen asked.
“Yes. I had seen it slide down beside the boxes of books, and I couldn’t risk anyone finding it, especially now.” She broke down into tears again. “I’m so sorry.“
This time, no one tried to tell her she hadn’t made a mistake about the note, but none of us was interested in judging a young woman who had just witnessed the murder of her friend by a man she was involved with.
Cate pulled Lucy to her feet and gave her a big hug just as Henri moved to do the same. The three women held each other tight until Lucy’s tears subsided.
As everyone sat back down, I looked at Stephen and then Walter. “Is Cagle at your house?”
“He was when we left,” Stephen said. “As far as we know, he hasn’t gone anywhere except for walks along the river.”
“Obviously, we’d prefer he not be at our house anymore, though,” Walter added, and his husband nodded vigorously.
“I will be coming with you to make the arrest,” Tuck said. “But if you feel safe, maybe you could go home like you would normally would. I’ll just ride along in the back,” He turned to Watson, “with you coming up just behind but out of sight.”
“To catch him off guard,” Watson said.
“I like that plan,” Stephen said as he stood. “Are you ready?”
The three other men stood. “We will let you know as soon as we have him in custody,” Tuck said to Lucy before turning to me and then Mart. “She’s staying with you?”
“Yes,” Mart and I said at the same time. “We’ll keep her safe,” I added.
“Lucas and I will stay, too,” Cate said. She turned to Lucy. “If you don’t mind sharing a bed, I’ll sleep with you, and Lucas can take the couch.”
I smiled and said, “I like that plan. It’ll be like a sleepover.”
Lucy smiled. “Sounds good. I don’t have anything to sleep in or a toothbrush or anything.”
“We’ve got you covered, all of you,” Mart said to our friends.
Stephen, Walter, Tuck, and Watson were already on their way to the door, and I prayed this arrest was simple and straightforward with no surprises. When Reeves said a quick thank you and followed them out, I felt a little pang of guilt that I had judged him so harshly. I didn’t understand why he hadn’t talked to Tuck right away, but maybe he thought he could handle things on his own. I certainly understood that impulse.
The rest of our friends helped us clean up, and then they headed to their cars and went on home after getting our assurances that we’d keep them posted as soon as we heard anything. Mom and Dad took a little extra convincing that we’d be okay. Dad even offered to sleep in his car, but I urged them to trust Tuck and go home and get some rest.
Despite the fact that we’d all had a very busy two days and an incredibly stressful week, I knew that none of us would be able to sleep just yet. So we turned on the TV and forced Lucas to watch Shadow and Bone, the TV series based on the books that all the women in the room had loved. Playing along, Lucas critiqued the romance, the special effects, and the boat-building techniques for the first few minutes, but before long, we were all engrossed and cheering for Alina and Mal as they crossed the Fold.
We got so engrossed in the show that we didn’t realize until the end of the episode, almost an hour later that we hadn’t heard from Tuck yet. I grabbed my phone, hoping that it had just been set to silent. But there was nothing.
After checking his phone, too, Lucas didn’t hesitate and called Tuck’s cell. The sheriff answered on the first ring. “He’s not there,” we all heard him say over the speaker. “We’ve organized a manhunt. Lock everything down and stay put.” Then, he hung up.
Lucy snuggled closer to Cate on the couch, and I had to really resist the temptation to squeeze into the club chair with Mart. Instead, she and I got up and double-checked the doors and windows, which were all securely locked. Then, I sat down in front of Mayhem, Taco, and Sasquatch for their pep talk. “Dogs, we need you to alert us if you hear anything, anything at all. Can you do that?”
All of them studied my face for a minute and then laid their heads back down on their beds. I noticed, though, that none of them closed their eyes. They knew something was up.
On Mart’s suggestion, we decided to all sleep in the living room and we gathered all the blankets and pillows in the house to make as soft a pallet as we could for our bodies. I was going to regret sleeping on the floor in the morning, but not as much as I’d regret my choice to sleep in my bed if something happened to anyone here.
Lucas had let all of our friends know what was going on, and while he had assured them all that we were fine and taking good care, it wasn’t long before a pajama-clad train of people came knocking at the door. Even Symeon, Mart’s boyfriend, came over now that his shift at Max’s restaurant was over.
Only Stephen and Walter didn’t return because they were on the hunt for Cagle with Tuck, Watson, and the officers they’d brought in from surrounding police forces. If it wasn’t so terrifying, these events might have been exciting in a “true crime” book kind of way.
Mart got Cate and Lucy some of our T-shirts and pajama pants and brought Taco back to stay with them while they changed. I didn’t know if the Basset would do anything if there was danger, but I certainly expected him to sound the alarm.
After Bear and Pickle did a thorough search of the house and checked all the doors and windows again, we all settled into the pile of blankets and pillows in the living room. Because he had a bad back, Bear took the couch, and somehow, Henri managed to curl up next to him. Lucas stretched his long, lean frame out in one of the club chairs, and Woody made himself a pallet of the dog beds and a blanket while the three pups curled against him to steal his body heat.
The rest of us sorted ourselves into some levels of comfort on the floor, and I was grateful for Aslan’s presence at my feet, especially since I knew this wasn’t her ideal sleeping moment. She liked to have a lot of room available, even if she insisted on squeezing into the crevices my body created as I slept.
By silent agreement, we all decided to try to get to sleep, a feat which was going to be very hard given the circumstances and the sleeping arrangements. I calmed my nerves using a strategy I’d built as a child and thought through all the things that were between us and the man who wanted to hurt one of us. The police, the dozen cars out front, the house itself, the people around us. At some point, I dozed off to the soft breaths of the people I loved, and while I didn’t exactly feel at ease, I did feel comforted, protected.
Sometime in the darkest part of the night, I was jarred awake by Aslan’s claws digging into my calf. I sat up and looked down at her, and she was ready to pounce as she looked down the hall. I glanced over at where the dogs had been curled against Woody and saw that they were up and staring the same direction as the cat. Something was going on down there.
I texted Tuck and then nudged Mom and Mart awake and pointed to the animals. Mayhem’s hackles were up now, so she was definitely about to charge. Dad took hold of her collar and grabbed Taco’s, too just as Cate hugged Sasquatch to her chest. If Cagle was in this house, I wasn’t about to let him hurt my dogs.
Mom went around and woke everyone and put her fingers to her lips every time a pair of eyes opened. Our best bet was the element of surprise, especially if Cagle thought he was catching us unawares.
I didn’t like guns and neither did Mart, so we didn’t allow them in our house. But we did have fireplace pokers and knives, so as silently as we could, Mart and I armed everyone, and then we waited.
As we all sat stock-still, I heard the sound that must have tipped off my pets – a slight creaking that reminded me of the way tree branches sound in the wind. The sound continued for a few moments more, and then I heard a splintering crack followed by the quick woosh that was clearly a window opening. The jerk had broken one of our window locks.
Cate stepped in front of Lucy just as the first footfall sounded in Mart’s bedroom. Cagle must have presumed we’d be asleep in the beds at the back, but there’s no way he could have known which room Lucy would be in. I could only hope that when he found an empty bed, he didn’t head toward the front of the house rather than checking the other rooms. We were ready, but I really didn’t want us to need our readiness.
Fortunately, Cagle didn’t come our way before going into my room and then, more loudly, into the guest bedroom. He was taking less care to be quiet, and I wondered if he thought we weren’t there. A tiny spark of hope ignited in my chest. Maybe he would just go back out the way he came.
My hope sputtered out when the sound of footsteps came down the hall. He wasn’t doing anything at all to be quiet now, so I had to assume he really did think we were gone. For a split second, I wondered if we could all hide, duck behind the kitchen island and couch and just wait him out. But given that our house had an open-concept floor plan, there really wasn’t anywhere that couldn’t be seen from the rest of the room. And even if there had been, we were out of time. Cagle was striding right toward where we huddled beside the fireplace.
It took him a minute to see us since we were massed together in a darker corner of the room, but when he did, a grin broke out across his face. And it wasn’t a nice grin either. I had a momentary memory of the way Skeletor looked in the old He-Man cartoon. But then, Cagle spoke. “Lucy, there you are. I was so worried about you.”
Behind me, Lucy whimpered.
Lucas stepped forward with Henri beside him and Bear right with them. Pickle and Elle pushed in beside Cate, Symeon, Mart, and me so that we could shield Lucy against the wall. Mom and Dad took wide-legged stances in front of me, and I saw Woody inching his way toward the kitchen. Cagle was going to have to fight through all of us, and we were going to put up a hell of a fight.
“Go home, Cagle,” Henri said as she took another step forward.
Beside me I saw the faint light of a cellphone flicker on and noted that Mart was typing a message into the screen with her phone tucked behind her thigh. Her texting skills were always so amazing.
“I’m just here to be sure Lucy is all right. I know that man Reeves is following her, and I want to be sure she’s safe.” Cagle’s voice was soft and gentle, but he was walking closer and closer to us.
“She’s fine,” I said with as much strength as I could mount up over my fear. “As you can see, we are all making sure she’s safe. Now, please leave.”
Cagle took another step closer. “I see that you all want to keep her safe, but if I can break into your house so easily, so can Reeves.” He leaned forward so that he was almost touching Pickle’s chest with outstretched hands. “Lucy, I will take care of you, darling. That’s my job.”
I felt Lucy shudder behind me as she slipped her face between my shoulder and Mart’s. “No, it’s not. It’s my job to take care of myself, and these people are my friends. I am staying here.”
Even in the darkness, I could see something like rage flash in Cagle’s eyes. He looked from Pickle to Lucas to Henri to Woody, and then he must have decided his odds were good because he charged forward like a wolf who has trapped his prey.
He didn’t get far though because Lucas clotheslined him as he tried to run by, and I almost cheered. Woody cleared the last few feet from behind the couch and grabbed his legs. Then Pickle put a foot on his chest and Henri brandished a bread knife and stood over him with daring in her face.
“There’s rope at the back door,” Mart said as we all began to move, and Elle and Woody grabbed the rope Mart had bought for us to use for our clothesline and hogtied Cagle.
Meanwhile, Mart, Cate, and I turned toward Lucy and grabbed her just before she fainted. The three of us managed to carry her to the couch, and I was just putting a cold washcloth on her face when our front door blew open.
Reeves was plowing through the door with Tuck, Watson, Stephen, and Walter just behind him. Tuck had his gun drawn, and Reeves’ hands were balled into fists. Even Stephen and Walter, who didn’t believe in violence, looked set and ready for a fight.
But when Reeves caught site of Lucy on the couch, he sank to his knees. Tuck holstered his weapon, and Stephen and Walter moved into the room.
Cate and Mart continued to talk with Lucy as she came to, and I moved over to let Tuck know exactly what had happened. As I described Cagle’s break-in and his systematic movement through the house, I heard Reeves swearing under his breath behind me. “I should have come in sooner,” he said to himself.
I turned. “You were outside this whole time?”
Reeves blushed. “I wanted to be sure Lucy was safe” was all he said.
I studied his face for a few seconds, but all I saw there was a mixture of concern and fear as he looked at the young woman on the sofa.
“Did anyone get hurt?” Watson asked as he put a hand on my arm.
I tried to ignore the tingle of sensation that ran up to my neck from his touch and said, “No. Everyone is fine.” I smiled as best I could, but I wasn’t sure my facial muscles were working quite right. The adrenaline was wearing off, and I felt like I could actually join Lucy on the couch if I wasn’t careful.
“Sit down, Harvey,” Mom said, and for once, I listened and dropped into a club chair just as Mart sat down on my lap. “I’ll get you both some tea.”
How my mother could still function after all this stress and lack of sleep was a mystery to me, but I let her because I didn’t think I could walk, much less safely carry a cup of something hot around the room.
Soon, though, Tuck and Watson had taken Cagle back to the station, this time after reading him his rights, and the rest of us had settled in with tea, some of us with something a little stronger mixed in. I took a double dose of stronger when Dad offered.
Stephen and Walter asked if we’d mind telling them what happened, and Mart obliged. “So he broke in and then went room by room to find—?” Walter stopped himself when he saw how wan Lucy still looked on the couch.
I nodded. “He was very intent.”
“Obsessed,” Reeves said from his stool by the island. “He was obsessed.”
“Clearly,” Cate said quietly. “Are you okay, Lucy?”
She nodded and took another sip of her stronger tea, a special blend of mostly not tea that Dad had mixed up for her to calm her nerves. Chamomile and whiskey seemed to be helping.
I couldn’t disagree with Reeves, but I did have one question. “You were just outside all night, waiting?” I asked him.
He nodded. “In my truck. I just had a bad feeling, but I didn’t want to intrude or make anyone more nervous.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry I scared you all with how intense I was about finding Cagle.”
“Someone might say you were a bit obsessed yourself,” Lucas said with a smile.
“They might indeed,” Reeves said with a long look at Lucy. “I better go on home. I have a pair of kittens who will miss me if I don’t.”
The thought of this huge man with little kittens was just so incongruous that I couldn’t help but smile, even as I did wonder, not for the first time, what exactly had made Reeves care so very much.
I was too tired to think about it, though, and soon I drifted off in my chair.