Midnight Secrets

chapter

ELEVEN


Depending upon the hour of the day, the clientele at Faye’s Diner was a varying mix of what made up the town of Midnight. The majority of early morning breakfast diners were retirees and farmers. Professionals and shopkeepers came at lunchtime; teenagers and families at night.

Zach knew exactly what to expect when he walked into the diner at six o’clock the next morning. The fragrances of frying bacon and homemade biscuits were almost overwhelmed by the scent of the collard greens Faye was preparing for the midday meal. He made a mental note not to come back for lunch. He’d eaten his fill of greens when he was a kid. They’d been abundant and easy to stuff into his backpack when no one was looking.

Dishes clattering, the hum of low-key conversation, and the latest country hit playing on the old jukebox in the corner came together to create a homey if somewhat stereotypical small-town Southern restaurant. But this place was special. He’d been all over the world and he’d never eaten better or cheaper food than what he could get at Faye’s.

Aware that the conversation had lulled seconds after he stepped foot in the door, Zach nodded at those who met his gaze but stayed focused on his goal—the counter where Faye stood, waiting to serve him the hottest, blackest coffee in all of Alabama. After the sleepless night he’d had, nothing else would do it for him.

No doubt everyone in the restaurant already knew that Savannah had returned home. The gossips could work faster than a chicken hawk in a henhouse. Zach didn’t question how news traveled so quickly. He’d seen it happen hundreds of times before. Though the town had embraced technology as lovingly as any modern city, email, Facebook, and Twitter had yet to replace the telephone. Nor had they replaced Faye’s Diner, Gertie’s Wash and Wait, or Tillie’s Hair Today. The juiciest tidbits could still be picked up while sipping coffee, waiting for your clothes to dry, or taking advantage of the newest special in Tillie’s vast array of daily coiffure deals.

“Morning, Chief.” Faye, middle-aged and as stern-looking as any four-star army general, wasn’t much of a conversationalist, which was another reason he liked her.

He nodded as he sat down. “Let’s do the special this morning.”

In admirable synchronicity, she poured coffee with one hand, wiped the counter with the other, and yelled, “Special! Over easy!” over her shoulder.

He took a swallow of the blistering-hot liquid and finally began to feel close to halfway human. Should’ve known seeing Savannah would bring back the nightmares and all the ghosts of past regrets. For a man who’d always been one to make a decision and stick to his guns, his regret over his actions ten years ago ate at him daily. Last night, they had almost consumed him.

She had looked so much like the beautiful Savannah he had known, but he’d noticed some marked differences. At eighteen, Savannah had been slim with soft curves. The Savannah of today was slender almost to the point of thinness. Even more disturbing, there was a cool brittleness to her. He tried to tell himself that her job as a prosecutor had most likely impacted her personality. Dealing with criminals was bound to have a negative influence. His demons whispered something else. They told him his alienation and selfishness were the cause.

What he had done was unforgivable. So why the hell had he expected a different reception from her? All the tender emotions she’d once had for him had been devoured by hurt, disappointment, and anger, leaving bitterness in their wake. A voice inside him whispered that bitterness wasn’t what he’d glimpsed in her eyes. Instead he had seen hurt and anger. Could they be healed? Could he make up for the sins of his past?

Before he could dwell on that tempting but improbable idea, Faye’s special—fried eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits, sausage gravy, and a side of sliced tomatoes—slid in front of him. Hunkering down over his meal, Zach made sure his body language discouraged even the most thick-skinned person from trying to make conversation. Problem was, there was always one person who believed they were the exception. Today that person was Sarah Jane Riley.

Sliding onto the stool beside him, she spoke in a high, shrill voice, making sure everyone in the restaurant could hear. “Chief, heard you had dinner with Savannah Wilde last night.”

Zach didn’t even bother to lift his head; the massive amount of food in front of him held his total focus.

“Bet it was good to see her after all this time.”

Again, Zach didn’t acknowledge Sarah’s attempt at conversation. Unfortunately the woman had a reputation of causing controversy in the hopes of creating something out of nothing.

“I even heard some folks say that your car was still there this morning.”

Zach raised his eyes then. He’d stared down more than one prick in his lifetime. The fact that this one was a woman made no difference to him. His reputation of being slow to anger often made people believe they could say just about anything to him without consequences. And though he’d been known to take more than his share of abuse, having someone he cared about besmirched or hurt in any way was one thing he refused to tolerate.

The cold, hard stare, unblinking and unforgiving, pierced through Sarah’s thick skin. Her eyes wide with surprise and not a little alarm, she jumped off the stool and backed away. “I … uh, I was only repeating what I heard.”

“Then I suggest you call them the liars that they are.” Zach kept his voice low and soft but there was no mistaking its lethal edge.

“Sure thing, Chief.”

Sarah returned to her table, where several other women were seated; all had the same wide-eyed surprise on their faces.

Though no longer hungry, Zach made a point to return to his meal with the nonchalant air of one who doesn’t give a damn. When his cellphone rang, he didn’t bother to check the identity of the caller, relieved that he didn’t have to continue the pretense of enjoying the meal.

“Chief, those vandals have struck again.”

Recognizing the voice of one of his deputies, Bart Odom, Zach said, “Hold on.”

Standing, he threw down enough money for his meal, plus a liberal tip for Faye. As he turned away from the counter, Sarah and her friends all seemed amazingly interested in their meals; not one of them lifted her head as he walked out the door. He knew better than to think this would stop their gossiping. They’d recover and return to their ways as soon as some other juicy tidbit caught their attention.

Out on the sidewalk, he walked to his car and said, “Okay. Where?”

“The high school.”

Now, that was different. Was his theory wrong or was this an unrelated incident? “Don’t guess there’s any need of asking about witnesses.”

“Nope. Nobody saw nothing.”

“Okay. Get photos of the crime scene and canvass the neighborhood again. I—”

“I think you’re gonna want to see this one for yourself.”

He planned to when he had time, but something in Bart’s tone seemed off. “Why?”

“You’ll know when you see it.”

About to suggest to his deputy that he stop being so dramatic and tell him the damn news, Zach held on to his patience and said, “Okay, write up the report and I’ll check it out after—”

“I think you might want to come now, Chief.”

Now even more curious, Zach jumped into his car. “Be there in five minutes.”

Three minutes later, Zach grimly took in the new act of vandalism. The other graffiti had been random drawings and a few vulgarities. This had a distinct message. One he most definitely did not appreciate. In large, blood-red letters splashed on one side of the beige brick building was a warning: Go Away Wilde Bitch.

Barring the probability that the X-Kings gang had come all the way to Midnight to leave a written message for Savannah, he considered the other possibilities. Some jerk’s idea of a joke? Savannah was the talk of the town right now. It could be meant for him—it was damn close to the area where he and Savannah had first met. And the man at the top of his suspect list had been present at that meeting. Or he could be reading too much into it and it was just a random act of stupidity.

Whatever the reason, Zach wasn’t amused.

He shot Bart a hard look. “Take photos of the scene and rope off the area. I’ll be back later.”

Once in the car, he headed toward Wildefire Lane. His gut told him she wasn’t in any danger, but until he saw or heard for sure, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate. She wouldn’t appreciate hearing from him again, but she’d have to get over it. Making sure she was safe was his priority.

As he drove, he made a quick call to Gibby Wilcox. Stupid to not have gotten Savannah’s cellphone number last night, although he wasn’t sure he would have been successful. Thankfully Gibby seemed preoccupied and provided Zach with the number without her usual chatter. He tapped out Savannah’s number, quickly added it to his phone book, and then hit Call.

“Hello?”

“Savannah, it’s Zach.”

The soft little gasp that came through the phone line went straight to his groin. Hell, hardening at such an insignificant sound made him feel like a teenager, when anything and everything could turn him on. And that’s the way it was with Savannah—just about anything and everything she did had turned him on.

“What do you want, Zach?”

The cool, hard tone doused the desire like an ice-cold shower. His tone matching hers, he said, “As we established last night, I’m checking to make sure you’re safe.”

“And as I told you last night, I don’t need your protection.”

“Whether you want it or not, you’ve got it. I’m assuming since you answered the phone, you’re fine.”

“How astute of you, Chief Tanner.”

Zach slowed to a stop in front of the Wilde mansion. Need warred with common sense. What he wanted to do was bust open the damn door, pull her into his arms, and devour that beautiful snarling mouth until she groaned with the same arousal running through him. Common sense told him to get his ass to the office and do his job.

“Call me if you need me.” He ended the call before she could hurl another insult. Having accomplished his goal of assuring himself she was fine, he made a U-turn and headed to the police station. He had a pile of paperwork to wade through, but first and foremost, he was going to start making some inquiries. Did the pricks not realize that bringing Savannah into the equation upped the urgency quotient about a billion percent? No way in hell would he allow her to be threatened in any way.

Savannah pocketed the phone with a huge sigh, resisting the temptation to throw it across the room. Her anger wasn’t with Zach, but herself. Why the hell couldn’t she act like a mature person with him? Why was it she could be a cool, rational law professional who’d been known to intimidate even the most hardened criminal with an icy glare, but with Zach she was this too-emotional, slightly childish woman? Last night she’d done everything but stick her tongue out at him. And her response to his phone call had definitely been on the shrewish side.

After a restless night filled with nightmares and oddly erotic dreams about Zach, Savannah had woken just after sunrise with a slight headache and in an irritable mood. Her first order of business had been making coffee, in hopes of heading off her headache, and iced tea for later, since the temperature was supposed to be close to a hundred today. Then, because she’d still felt so listless, she spent a half hour taping boxes together for her grandfather’s belongings. That had been the extent of her accomplishments. She might have two months to get everything done, but if she continued at this pace, she’d be here that long, plus some.

Taking a sip of her now-cold coffee, she grimaced and headed back to the kitchen. Maybe another pot of coffee and breakfast would help. She quickly prepared more coffee and was in the midst of toasting an English muffin when the doorbell rang.

She peeked out of the kitchen window and caught sight of the big silver Mercedes. Only one person in town drove a Mercedes. Putting her breakfast on hold, Savannah went to open the front door to Midnight’s mayor, Lamont Kilgore, and his wife, Nesta, who was bearing a large platter of cinnamon rolls. Their kind faces wreathed in welcoming smiles, the Kilgores were the epitome of Southern warmth and friendliness.

Lamont grabbed her in a bear hug, then pulled away and turned her to his wife. “Doesn’t she look as pretty as a daisy in springtime, Nesta?”

Nesta put down the platter and hauled Savannah into her arms, hugging her with the same enthusiasm. “Looks more and more like Maggie every time I see her.”

It was hard to be in a bad mood with the older couple grinning at her as if she were the prodigal daughter. Granddad had always said the Kilgores could kill you with kindness. She never had figured out if he had meant that as a compliment or an insult.

She led them to the sitting room and then offered the coffee she’d just made. Nesta jumped up and said, “I’ll get the coffee. You stay here and visit with Lamont.”

And that’s the way the entire visit went. Lamont asked questions and shared the goings-on in Midnight while his wife flitted in between the kitchen and sitting room. As Nesta refilled the coffee cups and served the still-warm rolls, she added tidbits here and there to aid Lamont. Savannah had always been impressed at how she seemed to know when to add what. Like a comedy skit, it was almost as if they practiced it at home before taking it out on the road.

Two hours later, she felt as if she knew all the minutiae of each person’s life since she had left town.

“Lamont, I believe we’re about to put poor Savannah to sleep.”

Sitting up straighter in her chair, she shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

Nesta leaned forward and patted her hand sympathetically. “So many memories here, both good and bad.”

Unable to refute the accuracy of her statement, Savannah smiled and nodded.

“I heard that Chief Tanner stopped by last night,” Lamont said.

Oddly, this was the first time Zach’s name had been mentioned. It seemed as if they had talked about every resident of Midnight with the exception of the too-handsome chief of police.

“He just came by to—” She stopped herself. If she told them about the threats in Nashville, they’d just worry.

“To what, dear?” Nesta asked.

“To say hello. You know, old friends and all.” She inwardly winced, sure they would see right through such a lame excuse.

Instead Lamont said, “I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to have someone of Zach’s caliber as our police chief.”

“You’re an admirer of Zach’s?”

“Oh yes,” Nesta answered for her husband. “He’s finally brought integrity to an office that we both believe was corrupt. Our previous mayor, Lord rest his soul, seemed to think it was easier to keep Harlan Mosby as police chief than to look for a new one. When Lamont became mayor, one of his priorities was to find a good, decent man to be chief of police.”

Lamont nodded. “We found that man in Zach Tanner.”

Silly, but a huge lump of emotion welled inside Savannah’s throat. She might have her issues with Zach, but to hear others talk about him in such glowing terms was a delight. For so long, he’d been the bad boy of Midnight, and now not only was he the police chief, but he’d also gained the town’s respect.

“Zach is a fine and honorable man.” As she said the words, she realized she actually meant them. How good it felt to say something nice about the man for a change. She’d spent way too many years either ignoring his existence or hating him. In her heart, she had always known that Zach had the kind of character most people could only dream about.

“Being a war hero certainly helped him get the job.”

“Zach’s a war hero?”

Lamont nodded, eager to share all he knew. For the next half hour, Savannah was glued to her seat as he related what he knew about Zach’s time in the military. Not allowing herself to find out anything about him for the last ten years had left her with a hunger to know as much as possible.

“My heavens, Lamont, we’ve got to be going if we’re going to get to the dentist’s office at eleven.”

In a flurry of movements, both Nesta and Lamont hugged her again and practically ran toward the door. Savannah followed behind them. The Kilgores were known to be sticklers for being on time.

They were driving away when Nesta stuck her head out the window and said, “Forgot to tell you. Come for dinner …” She looked back at her husband and said something, then turned back to Savannah. “Thursday night. Lamont’s getting a fancy new grill.”

Before she could answer yes or no, the car roared away. About to close the door, she caught her breath as two more cars appeared in her driveway. She’d been spotted. No way could she pretend not to be home. Huffing out a sigh, she watched as two women she had gone to school with got out of their cars, both waving at her as if they were the oldest of friends. Which was curious, since they’d barely acknowledged her existence back then. No doubt about it, visiting time in Midnight had definitely started.