Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 70
“Yeah.”
Mason returned his attention to the waitress. “Did you see what kind of car they drove? What kind of clothes? Anything to help me identify them?”
“I didn’t see what they drove. I just noticed them when they sat down at the guy’s table. The kid wore jeans and a rock band T-shirt. But the bald guy had on a uniform. Like a work uniform.”
“Do you remember anything about it? Like what color it was or if it had any writing on it?”
“It was a medium gray shirt. And it said something about a garage.”
I felt lightheaded. “Weston’s Garage,” I half-whispered, worried I was right.
The waitress’s face lit up. “Yeah! That’s it!”
Mason turned around to face me. “How’d you know that?”
I tried to blink away the fuzziness in my head. “Daniel Crocker.”
Mason’s face hardened. “Daniel Crocker is in jail waiting for his trial.”
“Thomas told me…” It all made sense now.
“Thomas told you what?”
“That Daniel Crocker is out to get me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Mason guided me back into my chair and sat across from me as Brittany went to wait on another customer. “Why do you think Daniel Crocker is out to get you?”
“Well, first I had a vision about Thomas. It was after I found out Miss Dorothy didn’t leave her house to her niece. Thomas was in the front yard saying it was too bad Mildred hadn’t been killed too. I thought that was strange, since the police were still calling it natural causes at that point.”
“Yeah, that’s odd.”
“I told him it was a terrible thing to say, and he told me that no one liked her. I couldn’t really argue with that. He was getting into his car when I had the vision. He was with some scary-looking guy, who wasn’t happy. Thomas said he was having some problems doing a job, and the guy didn’t like it.”
“Sounds like he might have gotten himself in a bit of trouble.”
“Yeah.”
“But I’m still not sure what that has to do with Crocker.”
“I saw Thomas at the church on Friday.”
Mason’s eyebrows rose. “Jonah Pruitt’s church?”
I nodded. “I think he’s working for Jonah. He told me a lot of people were upset about the part I played in shutting Daniel Crocker down, and they’d like to see me pay.” I leaned my forearms on the table. “Thomas is always working on his car. It stands to reason that he might have some connection to Weston’s Garage. Daniel Crocker’s shop.”
Mason looked angry. “Why didn’t you tell me he threatened you?”
I shrugged. “He’s a kid. I thought he was all talk. I mentioned it to Joe yesterday…before…” I closed my eyes, pushing the pain back down. Funny how worrying about going to jail had momentarily pushed my other troubles aside.
“I’m glad you told Joe, but he’s not here, is he?” Mason’s voice was cold.
My eyes widened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Joe is off doing who-knows-what who-knows-where while he’s undercover. He can’t do anything with this, Rose. I’m the one here in Henryetta. You should have told me too.”
“I didn’t think it was important.”
“If someone says Daniel Crocker is threatening you, it’s important.”
“Joe said he was going to call the sheriff’s department to see if they knew anything. And he gave me the contact information for a friend of his with the state police.”
Mason look unimpressed.
“Do you think they took Bruce Wayne to Weston’s Garage?”
“I don’t know.” Mason looked lost in thought, and then he pulled out his cell phone. “I’d love nothing more than to have the Henryetta police check this out, but we both know how well that would go over. I’d call the sheriff, but while Weston’s Garage is on the outskirts of town, it’s still within city limits. Henryetta police get jurisdiction. However, I plan to call them myself about the Crocker threat.”
“Well, I can’t just sit here and do nothing. What if they did take him? What if they hurt him?” My voice broke.
“All the more reason for you to stay as far away from them as possible.” He stood. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know yet, but we’re not accomplishing anything by sitting here.” The waitress walked by, and Mason pulled a business card out of his coat pocket and handed it to her. “Brittany, if you remember anything else, would you give me a call?”
Giggling, she took his card and stuffed it in her apron pocket. “Sure thing, Mr. Deveraux. Is your home number on there?”
“Just my office.”
Disappointment sagged her shoulders.
“But my secretary will put you right through to me if I’m available.”‘
That seemed to make her happier.
We stepped out onto the sidewalk, the steamy air hitting me in the face. When was the weather going to figure out it was almost October? “You’ve got quite the fan club,” I grumbled.
Mason stopped in front of me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Everywhere you go, women fawn all over you.”
He shook his head in bewilderment. “You’re the one who told me I was one of the most eligible bachelors in Henryetta. I never asked for any of this. Why do you even care?”
Mason returned his attention to the waitress. “Did you see what kind of car they drove? What kind of clothes? Anything to help me identify them?”
“I didn’t see what they drove. I just noticed them when they sat down at the guy’s table. The kid wore jeans and a rock band T-shirt. But the bald guy had on a uniform. Like a work uniform.”
“Do you remember anything about it? Like what color it was or if it had any writing on it?”
“It was a medium gray shirt. And it said something about a garage.”
I felt lightheaded. “Weston’s Garage,” I half-whispered, worried I was right.
The waitress’s face lit up. “Yeah! That’s it!”
Mason turned around to face me. “How’d you know that?”
I tried to blink away the fuzziness in my head. “Daniel Crocker.”
Mason’s face hardened. “Daniel Crocker is in jail waiting for his trial.”
“Thomas told me…” It all made sense now.
“Thomas told you what?”
“That Daniel Crocker is out to get me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Mason guided me back into my chair and sat across from me as Brittany went to wait on another customer. “Why do you think Daniel Crocker is out to get you?”
“Well, first I had a vision about Thomas. It was after I found out Miss Dorothy didn’t leave her house to her niece. Thomas was in the front yard saying it was too bad Mildred hadn’t been killed too. I thought that was strange, since the police were still calling it natural causes at that point.”
“Yeah, that’s odd.”
“I told him it was a terrible thing to say, and he told me that no one liked her. I couldn’t really argue with that. He was getting into his car when I had the vision. He was with some scary-looking guy, who wasn’t happy. Thomas said he was having some problems doing a job, and the guy didn’t like it.”
“Sounds like he might have gotten himself in a bit of trouble.”
“Yeah.”
“But I’m still not sure what that has to do with Crocker.”
“I saw Thomas at the church on Friday.”
Mason’s eyebrows rose. “Jonah Pruitt’s church?”
I nodded. “I think he’s working for Jonah. He told me a lot of people were upset about the part I played in shutting Daniel Crocker down, and they’d like to see me pay.” I leaned my forearms on the table. “Thomas is always working on his car. It stands to reason that he might have some connection to Weston’s Garage. Daniel Crocker’s shop.”
Mason looked angry. “Why didn’t you tell me he threatened you?”
I shrugged. “He’s a kid. I thought he was all talk. I mentioned it to Joe yesterday…before…” I closed my eyes, pushing the pain back down. Funny how worrying about going to jail had momentarily pushed my other troubles aside.
“I’m glad you told Joe, but he’s not here, is he?” Mason’s voice was cold.
My eyes widened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Joe is off doing who-knows-what who-knows-where while he’s undercover. He can’t do anything with this, Rose. I’m the one here in Henryetta. You should have told me too.”
“I didn’t think it was important.”
“If someone says Daniel Crocker is threatening you, it’s important.”
“Joe said he was going to call the sheriff’s department to see if they knew anything. And he gave me the contact information for a friend of his with the state police.”
Mason look unimpressed.
“Do you think they took Bruce Wayne to Weston’s Garage?”
“I don’t know.” Mason looked lost in thought, and then he pulled out his cell phone. “I’d love nothing more than to have the Henryetta police check this out, but we both know how well that would go over. I’d call the sheriff, but while Weston’s Garage is on the outskirts of town, it’s still within city limits. Henryetta police get jurisdiction. However, I plan to call them myself about the Crocker threat.”
“Well, I can’t just sit here and do nothing. What if they did take him? What if they hurt him?” My voice broke.
“All the more reason for you to stay as far away from them as possible.” He stood. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know yet, but we’re not accomplishing anything by sitting here.” The waitress walked by, and Mason pulled a business card out of his coat pocket and handed it to her. “Brittany, if you remember anything else, would you give me a call?”
Giggling, she took his card and stuffed it in her apron pocket. “Sure thing, Mr. Deveraux. Is your home number on there?”
“Just my office.”
Disappointment sagged her shoulders.
“But my secretary will put you right through to me if I’m available.”‘
That seemed to make her happier.
We stepped out onto the sidewalk, the steamy air hitting me in the face. When was the weather going to figure out it was almost October? “You’ve got quite the fan club,” I grumbled.
Mason stopped in front of me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Everywhere you go, women fawn all over you.”
He shook his head in bewilderment. “You’re the one who told me I was one of the most eligible bachelors in Henryetta. I never asked for any of this. Why do you even care?”
