Софи Райан - Two Tall Tails

He exhaled loudly. “I’m sorry. People don’t seem to remember how dangerous that stuff can be.”

“No, they don’t,” I agreed. “But the good news is Matilda is okay.”

There wasn’t anything Nick could do. I had to figure out some way to deal with Jason Bates myself. Right now, I just wanted to think about something else.

“So how’s the class going?”

“Good, “Nick said. “We’ve done a couple of mock crime scenes. I got to play a guy with an ax stuck in his head.”

“Are there photos?” I asked. “Because it’s not too early to plan my Christmas card.”

“Very funny,” he said dryly.

We talked for a few more minutes and then said good night.

Leftover bread pudding and coffee would make a fine breakfast, I decided the next morning. The sun was shining, and I pulled on a T-shirt and leggings and took my mug and bowl out onto the veranda.

Jason was out bright and early working on the fence. It struck me that he was trying to goad Tom into doing something.

And just after ten thirty, it worked.

Tom came out of the house and made his way over to the younger man, putting himself between Jason and the hole he was digging in the strip of lawn. I took a deep breath and began to make my way to them. If the police were called again, Tom could end up being arrested.

“I know you took it,” I heard Tom say.

“Why the hell would I want some old watch?” Jason asked, wiping a dirty hand on the front of his jeans.

“You want it for the same reason you’re here pretending to care about Angie,” Tom retorted. “Money. You think I don’t know it was you? You were too lazy to take off your shoes so you tracked dirt and sawdust into my kitchen.”

“What’s going on?” I asked as I reached the two men.

“He took my watch,” Tom said. “My father’s railway watch. I went to the store this morning, and I guess I forgot to lock the back door. When I got back, I noticed some dirt and bits of sawdust on the kitchen floor. The watch was in my dresser upstairs. It was gone.” He turned back to Jason. “Give it back to me, or I’ll make you wish you had.”

“You’re crazy, old man,” Jason said.

Tom swung at him, but Jason had the advantage of youth. He sidestepped the punch, raised his arm and knocked Tom into the driveway.

I stepped in front of Jason. “Stop it!” I said, anger sharpening my voice. My heart was pounding in my chest. I bent down to Tom, keeping my eyes locked on Jason’s face.

“He swung at me first,” Jason snapped, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. “I’m allowed to defend myself.” He punched 911 into the phone and gave Tom a mean-spirited smile. “You’re going to jail, old man.”

Rose must have heard the commotion. She joined us, a look of determination on her face that any of her former students would have realized meant trouble was ahead.

Tom had dirt on the knees of his pants and he’d scraped the skin on his left hand. We helped him to his feet. “You useless diddy,” he shouted at the younger man.

I held on to Tom with both hands. “Don’t,” I said softly.

Jason gave us an arrogant smile. “Want to take me on, old man?” he asked. He turned his head to one side so the curve of his jaw was facing them. “C’mon, give it your best shot.” He made a come-here gesture with one hand.

Rose reached out and slapped Jason’s hand away. His eyes widened in surprise.

“Are you going to knock me down?” she asked. “That might be a little harder to explain to the police.”

Jason muttered something I didn’t catch under his breath, but I could already hear the police siren getting closer. I was betting he wouldn’t try anything now.

When the cruiser pulled up, it was the same police officer as the previous day. I saw the arrogant smile return to Jason Bates’s face when he realized that.

Tom repeated his accusation. Once again Jason was pleasant and agreeable, explaining how Tom had taken a swing at him. “Hey, you’re welcome to take a look around my aunt’s house,” he said. “I don’t have the watch.”

I wanted to swat the smirk off his face.

“Look in the garage,” Tom said to the officer. “That’s where he hid Molly’s ball. It’s probably where he’s hiding my watch.”

Rose had been studying the policeman’s face; now she smiled sweetly up at him. “How are you, Charles?” she asked.

“I’m fine, Mrs. Jackson,” the burly young man replied, returning her smile.

Rose turned to me. “Charles was one of my best students.”

The officer shifted from one foot to the other, a little uncomfortable at the praise, it seemed to me. “I don’t know about that, Mrs. Jackson,” he said.

“Nonsense.” Rose waved away his words with one hand. “You were a silver medalist in the State Math and Science Challenge.”

“And you were a great teacher.”

Rose beamed at him. “Charles, could you take a look in the garage?” Her gaze flicked to Jason for a moment. “Maybe that would calm everyone down.” She held up her cell phone. “I have Angie Bates’s number. I’m sure if we called her, she’d say yes.”

Jason looked at the policeman. “I’m not hiding anything in the garage.” There was an edge of exasperation to his voice. He threw up his hands. “Look, if it will put an end to this, yeah, go take a look.” His eyes darted to Tom. “You’re not going to find anything.”

“Let’s go then,” Officer Sullivan said.

We followed him across the grass to Angie’s garage. Jason went to pull up the door, but the policeman stopped him. “I’ll do that, Mr. Bates,” he said.

Jason shrugged. “Go ahead.” He took a step back and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Search the entire garage. Like I said, you won’t find anything.”

The officer rolled up the garage door and took a couple of steps inside. The space was tidy by anyone’s standards, with rakes and shovels hung from hooks along the left wall and floor-to-ceiling shelves across the back. He made his way to the back, giving the shelves a quick once-over.

My heart was beating so hard, I glanced down at my white T-shirt almost expecting to see it move with each thump. Rose put her hand on my arm. She didn’t seem worried at all.

The officer stopped. Something had caught his attention. “Mrs. Jackson, do you know what color the child’s missing ball was?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Pink and purple,” Rose said. “With stripes.”

He lifted a rake down from its hook, moved back to the shelves and used it to swipe at an object I couldn’t see. I heard something hit the concrete floor and then Molly’s favorite ball rolled toward us. I bent to pick it up and couldn’t resist turning to look at Jason.

“He put it there,” Jason immediately said, moving toward Tom.

“Mr. Bates, please stay where you are.” Officer Sullivan’s voice had taken on a less friendly tone. He looked around the garage, spotted the stepladder and took it to the back of the space. Since he hadn’t told Tom or Rose or me to stay where we were, I moved a few steps closer so I could see what the policeman was doing with the ladder.

He was trying to reach something stuffed on the top shelf in the corner. He managed to grab whatever it was, climbed back down and walked back to us. He was holding a small cloth bag in his hand. He undid the drawstring and pulled out a gold pocket watch.

“That’s my watch,” Tom said. “Look inside. It’s inscribed with my father’s name: Reginald Thomas Harris.”

The officer looked inside the watch. Then he looked at Jason.

“This is a setup,” Jason declared hotly. “ He put it there.” He pointed at Tom.

The policeman looked at the old man leaning on his cane.