BM03 - Crazy Little Thing Called Dead (22 page)

As for the voice in my head that was saying, “Don’t be stupid, it is not in your nature to destroy people…” I ignored it.

At Meg’s, I got drawn into the table-setting, food-serving, general-mealtime-chaos that is dinner at the Maverick’s. I was sitting across from Hammie. He smiled every time our eyes met until Jeremy said, “Would you two cut it out? I’m trying to eat, for cripes sake.”

“Finally! I told you so,” Meg said to the room in general without bothering to look up from her plate. Hambecker had the good grace to look sheepish and I could feel the burn on my cheeks. He reached across the table and squeezed my hand, and I think he would have held onto it for the entire dinner, except it was really hard to eat that way. I couldn’t cut my food. Tom smiled, but didn’t say anything and Sara giggled.

Being with Hammie was nice, but I wasn’t feeling it the way I normally would have. The effervescence that normally filled me when I had a new boyfriend was missing. I chalked it up to the loss of my home and set it aside. I’d just get it later, that’s all.

The men cleared the table and the kids loaded the dishwasher, while Meg hand-washed the pots, pans and assorted handcrafted items. I dried and put away. It was the civilized way of doing things and we were all done quickly. The kids went outside and the guys drifted out onto the deck carrying a six-pack of Red Haired Mary from the Freight House.

“Are you all right?” Meg asked me when the kitchen had cleared out.

“You mean besides losing everything I owned and a lot of what was dear to me? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You’re not acting fine. But if you say you’re okay, I’ll go with it. Do you want to shop for new clothes tomorrow? I know the insurance money hasn’t come in, but I can give you an advance if you need it.”

I looked down at my clothes. I was still wearing Tom’s sweats and t-shirt that’d I’d put on yesterday. “God. I probably smell bad, too.”

“Not so bad this morning, but whatever you did at the farm… let’s just say you’re a little ripe.”

I blushed. “I’ll go take a shower.”

“I put a pair of jeans I found at the thrift shop on your bed, a few shirts too. That should do until we go shopping tomorrow. I’d take you tonight but I have the feeling you’d fall asleep in the car.”

***

Showered and changed I joined the others on the back deck with a Village Idiot, my favorite of the FH beers. I sat down on the bench next to Hambecker and leaned into him.

“When can we talk privately?” I asked him quietly.

“A little later?”

I nodded, listening to the river. Meg said something I didn’t catch and Tom laughed. It occurred to me that having me here was putting them in danger. I sat up straight.

“What’s up?” Hambecker asked, and Tom and Meg both looked at me with barely concealed concern.

“I’m fine. Stop worrying, you guys, you how I hate that. I just realized I’m putting you at risk staying at your house. I should rent a room somewhere.”

“Relax,” Tom said. “We’ve thought of that. I don’t seriously think that whoever set fire to your house is going to risk burning down our house, but just in case they are that stupid we’ve taken precautions. It will be okay.”

“But the kids…” The thought of fire in the house with the Maverick offspring caused my throat to close and I looked at Meg with tears behind my eyes willing her to understand.

“If it will make you feel better, the kids had planned to visit their Gramma and Gramps anyway. I’ll take them there tomorrow. The dogs can stay in the barn,” she added as I started to speak. “It will work out. The house is watched. I will not allow my best friend to rent a room somewhere when she just lost her home. I won’t. Get it?”

I nodded and swiped at my eyes. The saner part of me said
let go of the revenge
, knowing that I could lose these people, this home as well, that it could all be burned away. If not by actual fire then by the space revenge would leave where my heart should be.

“Bree,” Tom said, “Have you considered doing some grief counseling? You know, seeing someone to help you let go of any anger and guilt you might have?”

“I’m fine, Tom. It just takes time.”
And obliterating that bitch.

“I don’t know Bree. You don’t seem like yourself.” Tom looked unhappy.

“It hasn’t even been a week. But if it will make you happy, I’ll make an appointment.”

Relief flooded his face and a ball of lead settled in my belly. I was lying to my friends.
Okay then, I will make an appointment, once I’ve done what I need to do.

We sat on the deck until the sun went down and the mosquitos started to swarm. When we moved inside Hambecker said “I’m going to take Bree upstairs before she falls asleep on the couch.”

“Goodnight all, I’m being sent to bed.” Secretly I was glad. My body ached from hauling rocks and sorrow.

I crawled into bed and Hammie sat next to me. Worry clouded his face, but he stroked my hair and kissed me on the forehead, not saying what was on his mind. Considering it was probably my state of mind that was bothering him I was glad he kept it to himself.

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Can’t you stay? We could both fit in this bed.”

“Not tonight. And not with a house full of kids.”

“Will you sit here a while longer?”

“Only if you go to sleep. I’m not going to stay if you’re going to try and seduce me.”

“Oh, poo.” I closed my eyes and enjoyed the touch of his hand on my hair. He really was an excellent boyfriend.

***

The next day brought the removal of the kids to their grandparent’s house in Chelsea, and when she got back Meg loaded me into the car and we headed for West Lebanon.

“Have you heard from Lucy lately?” I asked. “Is she still spreading rumors?”

“If she is, it isn’t having the intended effect. I guess word got out that someone was trying to ruin us, and the advertisements are flowing in. The free online ads aren’t hurting either. We’re going to be all right.”

“Let’s hope Lucy doesn’t get it into her head to try something else,” I said. “She’s always hell-bent on revenge.” This made us more alike than I cared to admit.

We abandoned the subject in favor of an argument of the relative merits of Kohl’s and JC Penny’s. We don’t have a lot of shopping choices in our neck of the woods. We very intelligently settled on both. We shopped, ate dinner and shopped some more. We bought clothes and toiletries, picking up a new laptop before heading home. Our men, plus Steve, were eating barbeque chicken on the deck. We joined the fray, laughing and drinking beer and I felt more normal than I had in days.

Beans sat on my lap and licked barbeque sauce from my fingers, making me laugh. I kissed his smooth little head and he licked my chin. I fought back tears, keeping my head down until I was under control. Beans was able to get under the ice, he warmed me up until I ached for the other dogs. And it confused me. On one hand he pushed revenge out of my heart. On the other he made me think of the pack, which fueled my need to kill Ledroit in cold blood.

I was relieved when the party broke up and I could let down my guard.

Hammie and I sat on the deck after the party had dispersed. It was quiet. If you’ve never lived in a place without street lights you have no idea what dark is. It’s almost a physical presence, cloaking your sight, but heightening your hearing. The river and the frogs were almost deafening.

“We’ve got a plan,” Hambecker said sliding his arm around me. “We should be able to apprehend Ledroit.”

“Apprehend? As in catch her and send her to jail?” I could feel panic and disbelief settling over me. I slid away. “For what? Arson?”

“If the plan goes well, we should also be able to get her for the murder in the salon as well.” He reached for my hand.

“She didn’t kill the guy in the Salon, Ronnie did.” The anger was burning again. I welcomed it.

“I mis-spoke. We can get her for smuggling a hitman across the border illegally. That’s a major charge.”

“I think we should get a list of her properties and burn them first. Then you can do the plan.”

“Not going to happen, sweetheart. I know you want revenge but I think you are going to have to settle for incarceration.”

I stood up abruptly. “No. It’s not good enough. She needs to pay.” I moved away from him into the night and walked right into the house.

“Are you okay?”

I ignored the concern in his voice and walked away. Trailing my hand along the side of the house until I reached the door. It was my way or the highway, and if Hambecker didn’t agree then that was too bad.

***

I started the next day Googling properties owned by LeDonne, although she would forever be Ledroit in my head, pretending to myself that burning her business would satisfy the burn of revenge. I looked at satellite photos of a house in Hoboken. I would start there. Doubt pulled at my conscious. What if there were children? Pets? If I burned a house full of animals, was I any better than she was? No. I told myself I didn’t care. She would pay. She would suffer like I had suffered.

I found a drycleaner in Brooklyn that was listed under LeDonne and looked to see where it was located. I would have to burn that at night. I would not risk customers. It looked as though there were apartments over top. I would have to figure a way to warn the occupants. Maybe I could call in a gas leak. That could also explain the fire.

“Hey.” Claire was in the door watching me. “You look gruesome, what’s up?”

I closed the laptop. “Nothing.”

“Sorry about the farm.” She sat on the bed, sliding off her shoes and sitting cross-legged. “How are you doing?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s a lot to take in right now.”

“Have you thought about re-building yet?”

“I think I have to wait until the Fire Marshal and the insurance company sign off.”

“I don’t think the Fire Marshal is going to object to you
thinking
about rebuilding.”

“I guess not.”

“You could be thinking about what you want to do differently.”

“My great-great-grandfather built that house.”

“That doesn’t mean he did it the way you would. You put in a bunch of windows when you moved in didn’t you?”

“And knocked out some walls. Maybe I should put it back the way it was.”

“I think you should make it how you like it. Those people are never going to live there again.”

“Maybe.”

“Or, if you want to reduce your carbon foot print, you could get one of those tiny houses. You know, Tumbleweeds.”

“I’ve never seen them.”

Claire nodded at the computer. “Google them. They’re crazy small, but cool.”

“I’m busy with something else, but I’ll put them on my list.”
Right after locking an evil woman in her car and burning it.

“I’ve got to go cut hair. They finally let me back into the Salon. Drop in on me.”

I followed Claire downstairs to the kitchen and saw her shake her head at Meg. It was barely there, but I caught it and it confirmed my suspicions. I grabbed a soda from the fridge and went back upstairs. I’d look into rebuilding later, to throw them off my trail if nothing else.

Later in the day I “borrowed” a Smith and Wesson handgun from Tom’s locked gun cabinet—I knew where to find the key—and purchased ammunition for it. I snuck out to target practice behind the barn when the guys were at the barracks and Meg was at the paper. I wasn’t a great shot, but not bad either, and at close quarters I couldn’t miss. And if I got the opportunity to use the Smith and Wesson, it would be
very
close quarters.

I hid the gun behind the seat in my truck, away from prying eyes and little hands. I made sure it was well camouflaged, wrapped in an old sweatshirt and a paper bag, and shoved under the seat. It would not do for Hambecker or Tom to find it on me.

***

By evening I had a list of properties to hit, starting with the least personal and ending with burning Ledroit in her car. The lovely house in Hoboken was second to last. She could watch her world being destroyed, each act coming closer to her heart. My own heart was a ball of black ice.

I went downstairs to find the others gathered around the kitchen table heads close together. They looked up when I walked in and Meg at least had the decency to look guilty.

Hammie gestured to a seat. “Come sit with us. We’re working on the plan to take down Ledroit.”

“No thanks. I’m sure you can manage that without me.” I walked past the table, putting myself on the outer exit side of the room. “I’m going to be gone a couple of days,” I said. “I need to go to Rhode Island to pick up some new meds for Lucky. Max says he’s going downhill.”

“Are you taking Beans?” Meg asked.

“No, he’ll be happier here.”

Tom looked at me strangely. “Since when would Beans be happier here than in the truck with you? He loves to ride.”

“But I can’t take him all the places I’m going. I don’t want to leave him in a hot car.”

“Okay,” Tom said. “We’ll take care of him.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.”

I made my escape from the disapproving faces. Not one of them had believed a word I said. Which made them pretty damn smart. I was getting ready to pull out when Hambecker appeared at my window. I rolled it down, hardening my face.

“Do you want company?”

“No, I’m good.”

“You don’t want me with you?”

“I thought you and Tom were planning the take-down. Isn’t that more important?”

“No. Tom can handle it. If you need me to go with you, I’ll go.”

“No. It’s fine. I need some time to think about what I’m going to do about the house.”

“I make a good sounding board.” He wasn’t pleading, there was something else there. Throwing me a rope, I decided.

“I’ll be back soon. Will you be here?” Not that he’d want me after he found out what I’d done.

“I’ll be here, executing the downfall of Michèle Ledroit.”

“Good.” I reached out the window and grabbed his shirt-front, pulling him close. I leaned out and kissed him like it was the last time ever.