Chapter 32
After Hayley explained to Gemma about the recovered gun being registered to Carrie’s father and how they suspected it might have been used in the murder of Mickey Pritchett, Gemma frantically began texting Carrie to see if she was all right.
After what seemed like an eternity, Carrie texted back that she was fine and at her house with Sergio waiting on word from her father. There was still no sign of him.
It was now after eleven, and Hayley could barely manage to keep her eyes open. Gemma retreated to her room, while Dustin was already asleep when they’d arrived home.
Leroy followed Hayley up the stairs to her bedroom, jumped up on a footstool, and looked outside, tail wagging, as Hayley undressed, slipped on some sweats and a ratty old t-shirt, and climbed into bed. She made a whistling sound and patted the comforter for Leroy to join her, but he was staring at something on the street. She noticed his tiny tail stop wagging and a low growl building.
The growl erupted into a bark and Hayley sighed, throwing off the comforter and putting her feet down on the cold hardwood floor to snatch her pup away from the window. Leroy barked at anything that moved outside so she assumed it was just a squirrel or a night owl or a deer that had wandered into the yard to munch on her flower bed again.
It was none of those things.
It was the figure of a man.
Standing in the shadows just outside the glow of a street lamp.
Watching her house.
It was Ned Weston.
Hayley wasn’t going to waste a moment speculating on why he was stalking her. Her nervous behavior had certainly tipped him off that something was about to go down. He knew her relationship with Sergio. It was no coincidence that the police had showed up only minutes after she had pounded on his door demanding to take her daughter home. He knew Hayley was responsible and maybe he was here for revenge.
But it didn’t matter.
What mattered was protecting her kids.
So, like any threatened mama bear, she slipped on some shoes, snuck into Dustin’s room and grabbed a baseball bat from his closet, and marched down the stairs.
She didn’t stop to think about what she was doing, because she didn’t want time for fear to take over.
She kicked open the front door and saw the man in the shadows jump back. She raised the bat over her head and broke into a run, heading straight for him.
“Whoa! Wait! Stop!” the man yelled, throwing his hands up in surrender.
It wasn’t Ned Weston.
She saw the silhouette of a cowboy hat.
It was Wade Springer.
“Wade! What are you doing lurking around here at this time of night?” Hayley asked, relieved, still holding the baseball bat above her head.
Wade cautiously reached over and lowered the tip of the bat with his index finger. “I was debating on whether I should bother you so late. But, hell, honey, I can see now that you were still up!”
“You scared me half to death,” Hayley said, clutching her chest.
“That makes two of us, darling,” Wade said, wiping his brow.
“Why are you here? What’s happened now?”
“Nothing. I heard they caught the killer and I wanted to come by and see if you were okay. But when I got here I realized how late it was and you were probably already sleeping. Hell, maybe I was just looking for an excuse to see you. I still feel responsible for all this.”
“I already told you, none of this is your fault!”
“Like hell it isn’t. I’ve turned this town upside down just by being here. Nice, quiet little place and then after I show up, there’s murder and scandal and Lord knows what else. Seems like a tornado of troubles always seems to follow me around. And I threw you right in front of it with Mickey putting the moves on you and Stacy Jo’s insanity, hiring that kid to scare you. Let’s face it, if I never came here in the first place, you wouldn’t have had to deal with any of this craziness.”
“Well, I got to meet my idol, so in a weird way, it was worth it.”
Wade smiled.
Tipped his hat.
“So now that the murder’s been solved, what do you say we start all over again. Let me take you out after the show tomorrow night.”
“Who told you the murder was solved?”
“That reporter who works with you, Bruce something. . .”
“Bruce Linney.”
“Yeah, he dropped by the hotel bar for a drink about twenty minutes ago and said he heard some local man shot Mickey because he made unwanted advances toward his daughter.”
Bruce no doubt heard about the search for Ned Weston on the police scanner.
It must have driven Bruce crazy to find out Hayley was so far ahead of him.
“So what do you say? Dinner? On me? Tomorrow night after the show? I know it’ll be late, but I’m betting I can convince at least one restaurant to stay open. I’m Wade Springer, after all!” Wade said, flashing his killer smile.
“I’m sorry, Wade, but I can’t.”
Wade looked crestfallen. “Why not?”
“Ned Weston is still on the loose and I’m not going to be able to concentrate on anything, especially enjoying dinner with you, until the police have him in custody.”
There was no arguing her point.
Wade nodded. “I understand.”
There was a chill in the air.
Hayley hugged herself to keep warm.
“You still coming to the concert?”
“I hope to. We’ll see.”
Wade tipped his hat again and started to go, but then he stopped. He took Hayley by the chin and gave her a soft, lingering kiss on the lips.
“Good night, darling.”
And he was gone.
Hayley looked around to make sure there weren’t any more men skulking in the shadows outside her house and then hurried back inside.