Apple of My Eye (Tiger's Eye Mystery #7) - Alyssa Day Page 0,60

ground looking up into the open jaws of a roaring alpha predator.

"Really bad idea."

Luckily for Brigham Hammermill the Fourth, Susan showed up before Jack could rip his arms or head off. She pulled him up off the ground, snapped handcuffs on his wrists and started to lead him off to jail.

"There are a lot of defrauded investors looking for you, Mr. Hammermill," she told him. "And the feds, and the SEC, and your ex-wife, and—"

"I get it," he snarled, shaking like a leaf. "Just get me away from that animal. What is wrong with you people? You're arresting me, when there's a wild animal running loose in your stupid town?"

Jack shimmered back into his human form and took my hands. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine. But I have an ironic bit of news for Brig, if he wants to hear it."

Susan's eyes widened. "He touched you?"

I pointed to the red marks on my arms, and Jack's eyes flamed with amber fire. Brig whimpered and tried to hide behind Susan.

"He did," I said. "So, Brig? You know how you faked your death in a boating accident?"

"Yacht," he sneered, arrogant to the end. "

"Yeah. That. Well, guess what? You're actually going to die in a boating accident. If I were you, I'd brush up on your swimming. Oh, wait. They probably don't have pools in jail. Oh, well."

"What? What is she talking about?" He looked terrified, which told me he knew enough about Dead End to realize that he should be worried about a proclamation of his death from one of us.

"Where is Ann Feeney?" Jack growled and took a step closer. "Is she still alive?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Sheriff, get me away from this monster!"

Susan nodded to us. "Good work, guys. I'll find out what he knows, don't worry."

They started to walk off again, but I ran after her.

"Susan. Wait. Let me ask—Brig? Why am I the apple of your eye?"

His face went totally blank, and then he sneered. "Are you out of your damn mind? You're nothing to me."

"Come on," Susan ordered him.

When he balked, Jack took a step toward him and he started howling.

"No! Sheriff, I'm coming, you have to protect me!"

Jack started to go with them, but then Andy came running across the street toward us, so Jack stayed with me.

"So, that's that," he said, sounding relieved. "Nobody will bother you now."

I tapped my fingers on the sides of my legs, considering. "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"Something just felt off. Did you see how he reacted to my apple of your eye question?"

"He's a criminal, Tess. They lie," he said gently, touching one of my arms where Brig had grabbed it. I'd have bruises tomorrow, thanks to my Irish coloring.

"Oh! The jams. Jack, we need to clean up the mess over there before some kids cut themselves on the glass."

He found a broom and dust pan while I started picking up the larger fragments and putting them back in the crate. None of the jars had survived, unfortunately.

"I'll get this," he told me, an evil grin starting to spread across his face. "Don't you need to go change into your costume?"

"Jack."

"Yeah?"

"I'm starting to miss Brig."

18

I put on the darn costume.

I mean, what was I going to do? Aunt Ruby was counting on me. And Shelley and her friends from school were planning to walk in the parade with me and help me throw candy.

Funnily enough, the minute I had the darn thing on, Aunt Ruby found me.

"Tess! You look adorable!"

"I look like what happens when palm trees go to die," I said glumly, looking at myself in the mirror in the tent that served as the parade changing area.

"You have to put on the head!"

The costume's head was a giant, rounded, vaguely palm-leaf-looking thing, with a clownlike mouth and two giant googly eyes. I wondered every year why kids didn't run screaming.

"You're no longer related to me," I told her.

"Look at the bright side, honey—"

I stared at her, safely dressed in her mayoral festival clothes of a lightweight summer suit in a lovely shade of pale blue, and bared my teeth. "There is no bright side."

"At least it doesn't smell like vampire farts. By the way, did you ask Carlos—"

"Argh!"

I started to walk out of the tent but she grabbed my hand, er, leaf.

"Tess! You can't go out without your head on! You'll destroy the magic of the Swamp Cabbage Festival!"

Now she was speaking in exclamation points. Shelley must be rubbing