Authors: Ribbon of Rain
“I should make us something to eat.”
Kat was dragging her feet, putting off the inevitable.
“Sit down and have your drink first.”
Kat retrieved her .308, placing it on the coffee table before she sat.
He smiled when she sat a safe distance away from him.
She picked up her glass and took a big swallow.
Her eyes watered, and he smothered a smile, watching her efforts not to cough.
“I see you’re not a whiskey drinker.
Try sipping it.”
*****
Kat found pleasure from the whiskey.
Delicious warmth spread through her body.
She studied Jude as he sipped his drink while gazing out at the lake.
The color of his eyes matched the Jim Beam in their glasses.
He looked tired.
She took the bull by the horns.
“Jude, I’m sorry about overreacting with Willie.
But I’m better at giving orders, than taking them.”
He’d never know how hard it was to apologize for her actions.
His eyebrows rose.
“Is that right?
I hadn’t noticed.”
Heat flooded her face.
“I suggest we work together as partners, instead of you being in charge.”
“In concept that sounds fine.”
He turned his head and looked at her.
“But there will be times when I expect you to do something, or not to do something.
Think you can manage that?”
Kat shrugged and sipped some more whiskey.
It went down easier with each swallow.
“I’ll try.”
“Trying’s not good enough.
You’re in the military.
You know how important teamwork is.
Did you ever hear the expression, ‘You can’t command until you can obey’?”
Kat nodded.
“I have, and I’ll do my best.
You want the gems, but I need to know something up front.
If you find them, are you staying to help me find whoever killed my parents?”
He turned away from her.
“My assignment is to find the gems.
I’m hoping that if, and when, that happens, everything else will fall into place.”
“And if it doesn’t?” she persisted.
“I promise to file a report and request that the Bureau follow up and investigate the murders.”
Not the answer she’d hoped for, but it would have to do–for now.
Jude’s next question made her squirm.
“What did Willie say to get you riled?
Because he called you a half-breed?”
“No, of course not.
I’m proud of my heritage.”
She ran her finger around the rim of her glass, before taking another swallow for courage.
“It was his comment about no normal man wanting to go to bed with me–that and what he did to Red.”
“Why in hell would you that comment bother you?
You must know that you’re attractive.”
“Oh, please, Callahan,” she laughed.
“There’s no need to sweet talk me.
I’m not about to chase you around with a poker.”
“I’m serious,” he insisted.
“You’re beautiful.
Any man would find you attractive.”
“Give me a break.
Men prefer the long, sleek woman.
You know, tall, thin, with legs that go on forever and hooters out to here.”
She made an exaggerated gesture with her hands.
Women who paint their toenails and spend three hours a day on their hair and makeup.
Women like my sister, the model.”
She stopped and gave him a direct look.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not one of those women.”
“No, you’re not,” he agreed with a smile.
“You’re petite.
You have the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen.
Your hair reminds me of black silk.
And I know women who spend hours a day in the gym, striving for muscle definition like yours.”
She smiled back at him, pretending that his words didn’t jump start her heart into double beats.
“You’re such a sweet-talker.
Tell me, what does your wife, or girlfriend, look like?”
He leaned his head on the back of the couch and chuckled without humor.
“I don’t have a wife.
Never had one and don’t plan on having one.
As for girlfriends, I guess I have to say the women I date fall into the category you stereotyped so well.”
“See.
I told you,” she answered him, her expression smug.
She ignored the stab of pain his confession caused her.
“How come none of your boyfriends ever told you what a neat little package you are?”
“I’ve never had any boyfriends.
Except Brian, and he doesn’t really count.”
Jude straightened and turned to face her again.
“You’ve never had a boyfriend?
Please,” he drawled, “don’t tell me you’re a twenty-seven year old virgin?”
Kat stiffened.
“No, I’m not, but that’s really none of your business.
We just met for God’s sake.”
“Funny, I feel as if we’ve known each other forever.”
An odd expression crossed his face.
“It’s been a long day.
Take my word for it, Kat.
There’s not a man in the world who’d turn away from you if you gave him a second look.”
Kat didn’t believe him, but didn’t feel like arguing, so she remained silent and enjoyed the rest of her whiskey until she yawned.
“You must be hungry,” Jude spoke.
“What are we having?”
“Beans and hot dogs.
I’ll get things ready.”
Kat mulled over the day’s happenings as she prepared the meal.
The mystery of hearing her grandmother’s voice stayed topmost in her mind.
Today ranked right up there as being one of the longest and weirdest.
She returned to tell Jude the meal was ready and found him sprawled out on the couch.
His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and even.
He’d fallen asleep.
She walked over to nudge his shoulder.
He opened his eyes and winked at her.
Her knees melted, but she managed to clear her throat.
“Supper’s ready.
Were you sleeping?”
“No.
I was dreaming about eating sushi and drinking
“Reality check.
Beans and hot dogs.”
Putting the food on the table, she sat down and helped herself.
“Dig in.
There’s no formality here.
After all, it’s not as if you’re a paying guest.”
A few moments later, Kat looked up and saw Jude watching her.
Her fork clattered down on the table.
“What’s the matter?
Do I have ketchup on my chin?”
“Nope.
Just wondering how someone as tiny as you can pack away all that food.”
“I’m hungry.
Is there something wrong with your food?”
“Absolutely not,” he said, putting a forkful in his mouth.
“It’s delicious.
Best beans and hotdogs I’ve ever eaten.”
“I can’t take the credit.
My mother made them.
All I did is take them out of the freezer.
Ground moose meat makes delicious hamburgers and hotdogs.”
Jude stopped chewing.
“These hotdogs are made from a moose?”
“Yep.
My father got a moose every year.”
“Oh.”
He chewed a little slower.
“Kat, I don’t think Willie Card killed your parents.”
Kat eyes widened.
His thoughts mirrored her own.
“Neither do I.
Unless he was backed up against a wall, I don’t think he’d have the balls to kill anyone.
Whoever killed my parents did so in cold blood while they slept.
Not Willie’s style.”
“I also doubt the men you encountered yesterday are connected to Willie.
My guess is they’re professionals.
From your description, the whole operation reeks of military training.”
“I agree, but what could they be up to.
Would someone go to these extremes for a bunch of precious stones?”
Jude shrugged.
“It’s possible.
We’re talking about a lot of money.
But I don’t know how anyone would know about them, if Willie didn’t tell them.
I think these pseudo military people are too high class for Willie.
What do you know about Carl Winter?”
Kat’s fork stopped in mid-air.
“My sister’s new boyfriend?
What does he have to do with any of this?
Why are you just now bringing it up?”
Her nerves tingled with irritation.
What else had he kept from her?
“The Bureau has information that Willie and Carl are acquainted with each other.
That’s the extent of what I know.
Honest.”
“I don’t know anything about him except what
He’s rich and handsome… those are her words.
Do you know how he makes all his money?”
“He’s an entrepreneur.
Buys up large pieces of property and land.”
She shrugged.
“Maybe he wants to buy the lodge and the land it’s on.
If he does, he’s shit out of luck, because I’m not selling.”
“It’s possible that’s what he’s after.
If it is, he knows nothing about the gems.”
Kat noticed Jude’s plate was empty.
“Want some more?”
“Yeah, I do.
I’m thrilled to find out those huge ugly animals are good for something other than blocking traffic.”
He held out his plate, and Kat piled more food on it.
“I’m hoping
Kat’s laugh held a touch of bitterness.
“I doubt it.
My parents willed the entire place to me.
She left in a huff after the funeral.”
Jude snapped to attention.
“Your sister was written out of the will?”
“That’s right, and don’t ask me to explain, because I don’t have the answer.
I never saw Grandmother’s will.
I assumed the property passed on to my mother, but perhaps she left it to my mother with the stipulation my mother had to leave it to me.”
She folded her hands on the table.
“Who knows?
I guess I should take a trip to the courthouse and look it up.”
Jude leaned back in his chair.
“Interesting.
How did your family acquire such a large parcel of land to begin with?”
“Both of my great-grandparents were full-blooded Penobscot.
Their daughter, my grandmother, Sweetgrass, met a logger from
The two of them fell in love and married.
“Some of my grandfather’s relatives back in
He worked out a deal with the paper company who owned the land.
They sold him two-thousand acres around this end of the lake.”
“Your mother wasn’t full-blooded Penobscot?”
Jude inquired in between bites of his food.
“Nope.
And she wanted to forget that she was even half.
My grandmother and grandfather built this lodge and made a living running it.
Of course, at that time, the fishing was a lot better, and people paid good money to stay here.
“Anyway, my mother met my father while he was visiting some friends in Rockwood.
They got married before he shipped out to
My grandfather died while my father was overseas.
When my father returned, he and my mother lived here at the lodge with my grandmother.”
“You told Willie your grandmother never liked him.
Did she feel the same about your Dad?”
Jude finished eating and helped himself to a cup of hot coffee.
Kat thought about his question.
“My grandmother considered my father a weak man.
But in my mother’s eyes, he could do no wrong.
She said Vietnam changed him–left him with scars that never healed.
She used the war as an excuse for everything he did, or didn’t do, as the case warranted.”