LITMIR.BIZ

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       Chapter Five

      Angie had been kicking herself the past two days for bolting from Toby’s house the other night. He’d never even commented on her story about David, yet assuming he’d think the worst of her, she’d left before he could say anything.

      Wasn’t that typical? When the going got tough, Angie skedaddled.

      But why had she been in such a hurry to escape? If he hadn’t considered her to be flighty before, he probably did now.

      She just hoped she hadn’t ruined their friendship, because she really enjoyed her time spent with him and the kids. She was just about to close down the register and clock out when the subject of her thoughts for the past forty-eight hours approached with the kids in tow.

      “We’re getting ice cream,” Kylie announced, as she placed a frozen chocolate bar on the conveyor belt.

      “I thought an after-school treat was in order,” Toby said.

      If he’d wanted to avoid her, he could have stopped by The Grill for that ice cream. So obviously he hadn’t thought that badly about her.

      “What’re you guys up to today?” she asked, as she rang up his purchase.

      “I need to take Justin to the YMCA for his swim lesson,” Toby said. “But Kylie’s dance practice was moved up earlier in the day, which is a problem since I can’t be in two places at once. And so, I wondered if there was any chance you’d be getting off soon.”

      “As a matter of fact, I am.”

      “I don’t suppose you could do me a huge favor.”

      When he gazed at her with those big baby blues, she said, “Sure.”

      Anything, she thought.

      “Can you either take Kylie to dance or Justin to the Y?” he asked.

      “Actually, I’d planned to stop by the Y and check out that yoga class today. So I can take Justin with me, then bring him to the ranch when we’re done.”

      “Great. That would sure help me out. And this time, I’ll have dinner ready for you.”

      “Meals at the ranch could become habit-forming,” she said.

      “Maybe, but everything seems to go better when you’re around.” He flashed her a smile, and there it went.

      An almost definite zing.

      Twenty minutes later, Angie dropped Justin off with his swim instructor, a lanky teen who barely looked old enough to drive. She wondered if he was qualified to be giving lessons and certified in CPR, but she decided he must be or the Y wouldn’t have hired him.

      “I’m going to take my class now,” she told Justin. “You’ll probably get finished a few minutes before me, so change into your dry clothes, then meet me by the vending machines. I’ll buy you a candy bar as soon as I get there.”

      “Cool.”

      She remembered Toby telling her that the eight-year-old wasn’t a very strong swimmer, so she wanted to make sure that he didn’t hang around the pool without supervision. He also had a habit of wandering, so she figured a bribe to stay at a designated location was a good idea.

      Satisfied that Justin was in good hands—and that she’d thought of everything, Angie headed to the front desk to find out where the yoga class was being held.

      A young woman, clearly the receptionist, pointed her down the hall.

      Angie turned in that direction, her gaze scanning the entry of the building, just as Mr. Murdock pushed open the double doors and walked inside.

      He was wearing a red T-shirt with Semper Fi printed in yellow letters in front. He also had on a pair of green-and-white Hawaiian-print swim trunks and blue flip-flops.

      “Hey,” she said. “What are you doing here, Mr. Murdock? Are you a member of the Y?”

      “Just joined yesterday. My doctor says I gotta exercise. So I’m heading out to the aquatics area. Thought I’d swim a few laps. How about you?”

      “I just dropped off Justin, Toby’s boy, for his swim lesson. And while he’s there, I’m going to take a yoga class. They’re offering free classes this month.”

      “You and Toby are getting pretty tight,” Mr. Murdock said, lifting a single gray brow in that paternal way of his.

      “We’re just friends. I’ve been helping out with the kids.”

      “Humph.” Mr. Murdock folded his arms and rested them on his ample belly. “Is that what you call it?”

      Okay, so she’d been questioning that herself, too. But she wasn’t about to admit it—especially in public.

      “No need for you to be jealous, Mr. Murdock.” She gave the old man a wink. “My heart will always belong to you.”

      “Glad to hear that, Girly. I’m getting pretty used to having you around the house.” Then he winked back at her and shuffled off toward the pool, leaving her to scope out that yoga class—which she’d better hurry to or she’d be late.

      When the class was over and she’d released her last pose, Angie didn’t stick around to talk to anyone. Instead she hurried to meet Justin and buy him that treat.

      But when she reached the vending machines, he was nowhere in sight. Were there other places to get snacks in the building that she hadn’t known about? Some that were outside?

      Oh, no. Not by the pool. She’d tried to tempt him with a treat to keep him away from the water.

      She quickly made her way out to the aquatics area, which was directly behind the building. But after a quick scan, she still didn’t see him.

      Darn it. Where was he? She should have known better than to have taken that yoga class. She should have sat by the pool and watched his swim lesson instead.

      Panic set in, raising her heart rate to the level of a full-scale cardio workout. She hurried into the building, but she didn’t dare ask if anyone had seen him.

      What if word got out that she’d lost him? Not only would that further perpetuate everyone’s belief that she was unreliable, but social services might get wind of it. What if they investigated Toby and somehow found him lacking because he’d entrusted a child with a flaky, irresponsible friend?

      Mere seconds later, both of those concerns paled when she still hadn’t found Justin. Where could he be?

      When she spotted the swim instructor coming out of the men’s locker room, she nearly accosted him when she asked, “Have you seen Justin Hemings?”

      “No, not since his lesson ended ten minutes ago.”

      Oh, God. He could have been kidnapped, whisked away from here by some predator. And all on her watch.

      Angie rushed back to the aquatics area for one last look, the teenage instructor now fast on her heels.

      The area had pretty much cleared, except for Mr. Murdock, who sat on the edge of the pool’s shallow end, his feet dangling into the water, his face red, his breathing labored, his hand clutching his chest.

      Oh, dear God. Poor Mr. Murdock was having a heart attack. What else could possibly go wrong?

      “Call 911,” she told the swim instructor. “That man needs an ambulance.”

      Then she ran to her friend to let him know that help was on the way. When she reached him, he pointed to the pool, where Justin’s body lay at the bottom.

      “No!” she screamed, as she leaped into the water, clothes and all. She grabbed the child, pulled him to the surface and dragged him to the steps. “I’ve got you, honey. I’ve got you.”

      Justin,

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