Cut & Run (A Rachel Scott Adventure) - By Traci Hohenstein Page 0,7
There was something she was missing. She was sure of it.
Janine popped her head in the doorway. She was a few years older than Rachel, in her late forties. Janine wore her long dark hair in a braid and favored the hippie look, frequently wearing Birkenstocks with her jeans and peasant blouses. “Want to go out for a bite to eat?”
“Sorry, I can’t today.” Rachel saw the hurt on Janine’s face. “That was Red on the phone and he needs me in Baton Rouge. Can you take Maggie for a few days?”
Maggie was Rachel’s black Lab, who Rachel usually left with Janine and Jack while she traveled. This, unfortunately, was quite frequent lately.
“Sure. I’ll go by your house this afternoon and pick her up.” Janine hesitated outside Rachel’s office. “Are we okay, Rach?”
Rachel got up from her desk and walked over to Janine. “Of course. Things have been a little crazy for both of us.” She gave her friend a hug.
“I feel terrible about all this.” Janine started crying.
Rachel knew that the FBI had been questioning Janine about Scotty and that it was starting to wear her down. That was something else that Rachel and Janine had in common. They were both divorced, yet still involved with their ex-husbands because of their children. You hope that once you divorce someone, Rachel thought, that’s the end of the relationship. Sometimes, it’s only the beginning.
CHAPTER 4
Red picked Rachel up from the airport in Baton Rouge, and they headed toward Louisiana State University. Rachel didn’t follow college football but nodded as Red talked about the LSU Tigers, who were currently in first place in the SEC.
“I’ll take your word for it,” she said. “But that’s enough about sports. Where should we eat?” Rachel had gotten lucky and was able to hop on the last flight out of Miami to Baton Rouge. She always kept a bag packed for times like this when she needed to get out of town fast. With Janine taking care of Maggie, she’d been free to leave right after the meeting with Scotty’s drinking buddy. The guy hadn’t given her any good information. It had seemed like just another dead end.
Red pulled into the parking lot of The Chimes, a popular restaurant located just off the LSU campus, which was crowded with a mix of students and young professionals enjoying drink specials and dinner. They grabbed a booth away from the bar area and the noise of the crowd. The waitress brought over some water and suggested they try the blackened alligator bites for an appetizer. They took her suggestion on the alligator, and both ordered a beer.
“How was the flight?” Red asked.
“Good, but I’m famished. Peanuts and a Coke is the only thing I’ve had since lunch. Even the alligator sounds appetizing.”
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I’ve eaten here twice and the alligator is always good.”
Rachel took a quick look around the place. “The alligator isn’t the only reason you’ve eaten here.” Her eyes set on a group of college girls laughing loudly in the corner. “I think the scenery may have something to do with it.”
Red followed her gaze and laughed. “I ain’t dead yet!”
“Speaking of, are you watching your diet?” Rachel had been concerned for him since his heart attack a couple of months ago. Red was a like a father figure to her and even resembled Rachel’s own father a bit. Red was short, beefy, and bald, had been divorced three times, had no kids, and was an avid collector of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. And just like her, he never gave up looking for Mallory. Because of that, Red had a special place in her heart.
“Yes, ma’am,” Red answered. “Cross my heart.”
The waitress brought over the plate of steaming alligator bites. Rachel plucked one off the plate and ate it. “Hmmm, that is good.” She washed it down with a swig of her Abita Purple Haze beer. “So bring me up to speed on Matt O’Malley.”
“The police questioned Matt with his attorney present, but Matt claims he doesn’t remember anything. Matt was released into the custody of his brother and attorney. They took him straight to the hospital. Chris is supposed to call me after Matt is examined. He’s pretty pissed that the cops didn’t take his brother straight to the ER when they found him behind the Dumpster. He had a pretty big knot on his head.”
“Has he lost all his memory?”
“Matt claims he doesn’t have any knowledge of what happened to his wife