Falling in Love on Willow Creek by Debbie Mason

Chapter Ten

Sadie reacted to Chase’s question by jumping from the chair and heading for the door.

“Wait. Let me go with you, Sadie. You could be walking into a dangerous situation.” While he no longer believed she was involved in her brother’s crimes in any way, Chase didn’t trust that her anger at Elijah outweighed their family ties.

“Michaela is more dangerous than my brother,” she scoffed, nodding at the gun in his holster. “And you have a twitchy finger.”

“I don’t have a twitchy finger. I’ve been in situations far more dangerous than…” He trailed off. Chase had but Michael hadn’t.

He wasn’t very good at undercover work. He had a difficult time lying. But he knew exactly what had to be done in this instance. They couldn’t break cover. If Agnes MacLeod had been hiding Elijah all along, they couldn’t take him down in the apartment. It would be better if he ran and they grabbed him without anyone the wiser.

Chase pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and glanced at the screen, acting like it had been on vibrate. “Just give me a second. I have to respond to this.” He shot off a quick text to a man who had no problem lying.

Strong possibility Elijah Gray in upstairs apartment. Will investigate. Keep an eye on exits. Let Gabe know.

The police station was on Main Street. The chief wouldn’t alert his officers but he’d keep an eye out on his own. He knew the importance of keeping Elijah’s capture on the downlow. The last thing they wanted was the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department knowing they had him in custody.

“You shot a snake, Michael.”

He raised his head. She’d never let him live that down. “Trust me, navigating office politics in DC is far more dangerous than dealing with the wild animals of Highland Falls. And while you may not consider your brother dangerous, you don’t know how he’d react if cornered. The best move is for you to call your grandmother. Tell her you need to speak with her. Once she’s out of the apartment, I’ll go up and take a look around.”

“She won’t want to talk to me now that I know that she’s been helping out Elijah this entire time.” Sadie shook her head. “I’m so mad at her right now. I get the whole standing-by-your-family thing, but she’s gone too far this time. My brother was moving drugs for a gang, Michael. I still have a hard time believing he got himself mixed up in something like that. He…Anyway, I have to deal with it.” She glanced at her daughter sleeping in the cradle and then back at Michael. “I promise, I shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes. I know I’ve already taken up too much of your time…” She frowned. “They can’t fire you, can they?”

“Technically, they could. They don’t know I’m undercover for Fish and Wildlife. I’m supposed to be looking for a moose on Main Street.”

She laughed. “They’re pulling your leg. We don’t have moose here.”

“Yes, you do.” He swiped the screen on his cell phone and showed her the photo from the front page of the Highland Falls Herald. “Look, it says so right here.”

“It’s an elk. They look similar but a moose is a lot bigger. They can weigh as much as eighteen hundred pounds. The newspaper owner’s granddaughter wrote the story. She was doing a spring internship. She’s from New York City and obviously as well acquainted with wildlife as you are.”

His phone pinged. He checked the screen. It was a message from Black.

No sign of him. Gabe’s patrolling Main Street. What’s your status?

Trying to stall Sadie. Text her grandmother. Tell her Sadie’s gone and that you need her help.

“You should head out. I don’t want you to get fired. I’ll take Michaela with me,” she said, taking a step toward the cradle.

“Are you kidding me right now?” He caught the surprise in her eyes at the anger in his voice. He was a little surprised himself. Even his colleagues, who were far from his number one fans, credited him with being unshakable, calm, and level-headed in any situation. Although they’d follow up the compliment with a comment about him having a chunk of ice where his heart should be.

He rubbed his jaw. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have used that tone of voice with you. I’m just afraid you’re underestimating your brother and what he’s capable of, Sadie.”

“I know my brother, Michael. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. I mean that literally. Elijah is a pacifist.”

“A pacifist who moved drugs for a gang. Sorry, but come on. Drug dealers aren’t exactly singing ‘Kumbaya’ and roasting marshmallows in the woods.”

“Okay, you’ve made your point. I’ll call Gran—” She turned at the sound of the door opening at the end of the hall. “That must be her now.”

Obviously, Black had done as Chase asked and told Agnes that Sadie had left, which he’d hoped would be the case at this point. But Sadie had distracted him, and she was now one step ahead of him.

“Sadie, wait,” he said when she went to open the office door. “I’m not sure confronting your grandmother is the best—” He sighed when she opened the door and rushed into the hall.

“How could you, Granny? How could you be hiding Elijah all this time?” she called to her grandmother’s back.

Agnes whirled around, looking sweetly innocent in a pink sweatshirt, white pants, and pink sneakers. She pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh now, you just about gave me heart failure. Nate said—”

Sadie cut off her grandmother. “We’re even then. My heart has just about stopped twice today thanks to you. Is Elijah in the apartment now? Don’t lie to me, Granny.”

While the two women were distracted, Chase moved to the door at the end of the hall. He had his hand on the knob when he heard the sound of sirens, and not just one. Something big was happening in Highland Falls. He hoped that something big didn’t involve an Elijah Gray sighting and the entire police department wasn’t about to converge on the store.

Black appeared behind Sadie’s grandmother and met Chase’s questioning gaze with a negative head shake. He hadn’t seen Gray.

“No, of course he’s not in my apartment. Whatever gave you that idea?” Sadie’s grandmother protested, frowning when she spotted Chase. “Whoa there, laddie. Where do you think you’re going? Sadie, stop that young man.” The older woman’s voice followed Chase as he disappeared up the stairs and into the apartment above the store, accompanied by his partner buying him time.

“There you are, Mrs. M. I couldn’t get the cash register to open, and one of your customers thought I was robbing the place. I hope she hasn’t gone and called the police on me.”

Sadie had a fairly good idea who had called the police, and it wasn’t a customer. It was her brother. It would be just like Elijah to set up a distraction so he could make a clean getaway. She glanced over her shoulder. Michael had obviously gone to search the apartment, exactly like he’d intended on doing all along. She appreciated him being protective of her and Michaela, but this was her problem, not his.

“Nate, I need to have a word with my grandmother. She’ll be with you in a minute.” Sadie made a mental note to check out his story after she’d grilled her grandmother. Something about it didn’t quite jibe with her.

“Sure, no problem,” Nate said, but he didn’t move.

She was about to add in private when her grandmother said, “You told me Sadie had gone home, Nate.” Agnes sounded disappointed in her new hire.

Sadie narrowed her eyes at the man, feeling like her earlier suspicions about him had just been validated. “You knew I was in the office, Nate. Why would you tell my grandmother I went home?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you and your friend.” He gave her a broad wink as though he thought she and Michael had been making out. “And you and your gran had just had a falling-out so…” He trailed off as if that explained everything.

Her grandmother pressed her hands to her chest. “Now is that not a fine piece of news to get on a day like today? You have a boyfriend, and a handsome one at that.” Agnes’s delighted smile fell. “But I don’t appreciate him going up to my apartment uninvited, Sadie.”

At any other time, her matchmaking grandmother believing she had a boyfriend would have concerned Sadie, but right now she had bigger worries to contend with and couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Obviously, from the lack of commotion overhead, Elijah was gone, as Sadie had suspected he would be. “Granny, give me your cell phone.”

“Sorry, dear, I don’t have it on me.” Her grandmother’s rubber-soled sneakers squeaked on the wood floor as she tried to make a getaway. “I’ll just check on the cash register with Nate. I won’t be but a minute.” Her Scottish burr had thickened, something it did when she was nervous.

“White pants show everything, Granny. Including the outline of your phone in your front pocket. Hand it over.” Sadie made a gimme gesture with her fingers.

“Sorry, but there are things on my phone I’d rather you not see. My friend Mr. Murphy has been getting a little flirty in his texts, if you know what I mean.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Good try. Now hand it over.”

“You know, you’ve gotten very bossy since you had a baby. Where is Michaela, by the way?”

“Don’t try and distract me, Granny. It won’t work. She’s sleeping in the office.”

“Isn’t that wonderful!” her grandmother yelled as if Sadie had suddenly become hard of hearing.

Sadie’s eyes went wide at the sound of sniffling coming from the office. “I can’t believe you did that. Is there anything you won’t do to protect Elijah?”

“One of us has to protect him.” She grimaced at the sound of Michaela crying. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, but I’m at my wits’ end. Your brother’s in trouble, serious trouble.”

“Of his own making, and now he’s dragging you down with him.”

Agnes’s bottom lip quivered.

Sadie briefly closed her eyes. The sight of her grandmother fighting to contain her tears and fears got to her. “Nate, do me a favor and rock the cradle,” Sadie said to the man listening intently to their conversation.

“Uh, okay.” He walked past her like he was on his way to the electric chair.

“Thank you. There’s a bottle made up for her in the mini-fridge if she doesn’t settle right away.” She closed the office door on his God help me expression.

“All right, I’ll hear Elijah out. But to do that, I need to talk to him. Where is he, Granny?”

“I don’t know. I don’t,” she repeated when Sadie raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, if that’s true, then the only way for me to get in touch with him is on your phone.” She sighed when her grandmother looked like she didn’t have a clue what Sadie was talking about. “I know my brother, Granny. I know how he thinks and how he operates. You also know I can easily hack your phone so you might as well hand it over.”

“Fine.” She dug the phone out of her pocket and reluctantly handed it over. “But you have to promise me you won’t turn him in. Not until you hear him out. He knows he messed up, Sadie. He’s just trying to make it right. He’s scared.”

“He should be scared. He’s gotten himself mixed up with some very bad people. You should be scared too. Because if those same people discover you’ve been hiding him, they might come looking for him here.” She honestly hadn’t considered that her grandmother might be in danger until that very moment.

The thought rattled her nerves, and she jumped when the door opened at the end of the hall. It was Michael. He glanced from her to her grandmother. “Everything okay here?” he asked, walking toward them. His concerned gaze went to the office. Michaela’s crying was audible through the closed door.

Her grandmother crossed her arms. “No, laddie, it’s not. You entered my apartment without my permission.”

“I’m sorry about that, ma’am. Sadie was worried about you. She thought her brother might be hiding in your apartment without you being aware of it.”

“Well, as you saw for yourself, she was worrying for nothing.” She gave Michael a speculative look. “But it seems my granddaughter has been keeping secrets from me. I didn’t know she had a young man in her life. I can’t understand why she’s been hiding you away though. You’re—”

“Granny, Michael’s a friend, not a boyfriend.” Sadie prayed that he didn’t think she’d inferred otherwise.

She couldn’t tell by his expression because he’d turned when Nate opened the door with a wailing Michaela in the crook of his arm, holding up the bottle with his other hand. “She won’t stop crying long enough for me to get the bottle in her mouth.”

“Here, give her to me.” Michael reached for her daughter.

Sadie felt guilty for not being the one to take Michaela but right now finding Elijah won out over comforting her crying child. Besides, she had no doubt her daughter preferred being in Michael’s arms to being in hers. She watched him snuggle Michaela against his chest and gently pat her back, Michaela’s cries subsiding to soft whimpers. Sadie didn’t blame her. She wouldn’t mind being in his arms either.

“I don’t get it,” Nate muttered. Sharing a glance with Michael that Sadie couldn’t read, he added, “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take a break, Mrs. M. Have a smoke and calm my nerves.”

“Take all the time you need, Nate. With all the commotion, you didn’t get your lunch break,” her grandmother said distractedly, her attention on Michael and Michaela. She looked intrigued, which at any other time would have had Sadie grabbing her daughter and Michael and heading for the door.

“I might just take you up on that, Mrs. M. Thanks.” He handed Michael the bottle.

As their new employee went to walk away, Sadie asked, “Nate, before you go, do you remember the customer that you thought might have called the police?”

“Not off the top of my head. I’ll give it some thought while I’m on my break.”

“I’ll take a look at the cash register. It can be finicky.” Her grandmother followed Nate down the hall, glancing over her shoulder at Sadie, probably expecting her to call her back so she could continue her interrogation. But Sadie knew her grandmother well enough to know she wouldn’t get anything else out of her.

“Do you mind hanging around a little while longer?” Sadie asked Michael. “Maybe give Michaela her bottle? There’s something I need to take care of.”

She hated to ask. She already owed him so much. But getting in touch with her brother was too important to put off. Hopefully, Michael’s boss still assumed he was off chasing a “moose” down Main Street. They wouldn’t expect him back anytime soon.

“Does that something have to do with your brother?” He glanced at the phone in her hand. Unlike Sadie’s plain black phone case, her grandmother’s case was sparkly and embossed with unicorns.

“No, just store business. Trying to keep the lights on, you know.” She held his gaze, hoping he’d miss her sliding her grandmother’s phone into her pocket as she did so. “Why would you ask?”

“I think the better question is why didn’t you ask what I found in your grandmother’s apartment?”

“I just assumed you didn’t find anything. You didn’t, did you?”

“There’s definitely been two people in the apartment. There were two cups of tea on the coffee table. One with lipstick and one without. The tea was lukewarm.”

“I don’t want to discount your powers of observation, but one of my grandmother’s friends could have stopped by for a cup of tea. In fact, I’d say there was a ninety-nine-point-nine percent chance that’s what happened. They’d want the inside scoop to take back to their mutual friends.”

“That might be, but there was a razor on the bathroom counter that was filled with auburn stubble. So unless your grandmother has short strands of auburn hair growing from her face or legs, I think we can safely rule her out. I also can’t see your grandmother owning an Xbox on which she plays Fortnite. And not only does she play the game, she goes by Godric Gryffindor and her team is the top scorer on the leaderboard. There’s also a very large steak in the fridge and the faint smell of marijuana in the air.”

“Two for three. The marijuana could go either way. Agnes has been known to smoke pot on occasion for her arthritis. Elijah’s a vegan but Granny loves her steak. You got my brother on the razor and Fortnite game. Although Granny does play, and she’s probably a member of his team. Elijah goes by Godric Gryffindor online. He’s a big Harry Potter fan. And you’re impressively observant for someone who was in my grandmother’s apartment for under ten minutes.” She smiled.

He didn’t return her smile. “I am, which is how I know you’re hiding something. What’s going on, Sadie?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. I just need a few minutes.” Before he could ask anything else, she walked into the office and closed the door. She leaned her back against it and retrieved her grandmother’s phone, scrolling through the call log. Just like she’d thought, there were a whole lot of calls to Payton Howard. Her brother had been using her grandmother’s cell phone.

Sadie went to retrieve her own phone and frowned at her purse lying open on the desk. She didn’t remember leaving it like that. Her first thought was Nate. She grabbed her wallet. Her credit card was still there and so was the twenty-dollar bill she’d taken out last Sunday. Okay, one outlaw at a time, she thought, and took a screenshot of Payton’s number. Then she went through her grandmother’s most recent texts.

Agnes hadn’t been lying. Sadie was just glad her grandmother’s attempts at sexting with Mr. Murphy were more G-rated than X-rated. She scrolled to the text messages between Agnes and Payton. They were way worse and most definitely from her brother.

“You sound like you’re seventeen and in love for the first time, baby brother,” Sadie murmured, embarrassed for him. He seemed a lot more invested in their relationship than Payton was. Sadly, Sadie could relate—on Payton’s end, not Elijah’s.

“Okay, baby brother, let’s see if I’m right and you spoofed Granny’s phone.” She sent a text message to her grandmother.

Granny says you’re trying to make things right. Give me one reason to believe you.

She didn’t say everything she wanted to. She didn’t tell him how angry she was at him for putting their grandmother in danger, for putting I Believe in Unicorns and the apartment upstairs at risk.

Dots showed up on her screen and then disappeared before showing up again moments later.

I’m sorry about Granny. I didn’t know what else to do or who to turn to. Meet me at the rock in the woods at ten tonight. I’ll tell you everything. Come alone. BTW, you’ll need to buy Granny a new phone.

The screen went black. He’d trashed the data and any evidence that was on the phone. She should have anticipated that he would. If her brain had been functioning instead of being half-asleep, she would have. It had been his endgame all along, which meant the only reason he hadn’t trashed the phone earlier is because he was waiting for her to contact him.

They’d played her. They were in on this together. She wished she could throw up her hands and walk away. They knew she wouldn’t. Honestly, she must have a neon sucker sign stuck on her forehead. Everyone saw her coming from a mile away.

She sighed, forcing a smile as she opened the door. At the sight of Michaela, head lolling with the bottle in her mouth, the smile was no longer forced. She glanced at Michael. “I have a feeling I’ll be up late tonight. Any chance you feel like hanging out? We can work on improving your knowledge of Highland Falls’ flora and fauna. Unless you have other plans.”

“No, I’m free for the night.”

“Great. How does nine forty-five sound?” If she hung around with him for too long before her scheduled meet with Elijah, she was afraid she’d tell him the truth. She’d already seen how well that worked out.

“Suspiciously specific.”