Chasing Clowns: A Novel (Girl Clown Hatchet Suspense Series Book 2) Read online

  She gave him a stern look. “Actually, I do mind. Why?”

  “What’s your first name?”

  “My name is Officer Jackson to you, and that is all you need to know.” Her mouth lifted in a sarcastic grin, but she froze after what he said next.

  “It’s Chloe, isn’t it?”

  Her pale face told him everything he needed to know.

  6

  Rain Remembers

  SAMMY SAW THE CAR PULL INTO the driveway. He had just taken a huge cheesy bite of sausage and mushroom pizza. It was hot. Really hot. He fanned his mouth—trying to disconnect the long sticky strings of cheese from the slice to his mouth—all the while watching the car outside from the corner of his eye. The headlights flipped off, but no one got out of the car.

  His mouth was still full when he said, “Dude, someone’s in your driveway.”

  AJ was pouring root beer into plastic cups. “It’s rude to talk with your mouth full.”

  Sammy let the orange blanket fall back into place. Sauce and meat squished between his teeth. “They’re just sitting there with the lights off. That ice we lost last week! Do you think someone was sent to look for it?”

  AJ smirked. “No, I don’t. My Uncle took care of that already. Have some faith.”

  Sammy swallowed, then squeaked when he lifted the edge of the blanket and looked out the window again. A woman got out of the car. She was wearing a long dark jacket and slacks. She had the look of a cop. Damn, she must be the new parole officer who had been leaving messages for him. “Shit! It’s a cop, a woman cop. Don’t you see her?”

  AJ turned to Sammy and set down his plastic cup of root beer.

  Sammy said, “She’s about to knock on your—”

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Sammy’s eyes grew huge as if he’d just seen a UFO fly down to earth and a little green alien stepped out with a laser gun pointed at him.

  “Chill. I got it, bro.” AJ rolled up the sleeves of his red and black flannel shirt and unfastened a few buttons from the collar. When he wasn’t working at his Uncle’s mechanic shop, he was bodybuilding. The chicks dug it.

  As Sammy watched the woman outside the door glance at the watch on her wrist, he had a feeling AJ’s charms weren’t going to go over so well with this woman.

  AJ handed a cup of root beer to Sammy. “You need to relax.”

  Sammy said, “Last time you said that things didn’t go down as planned. I lost a finger over it.” He pointed at the little nub where his pinky used to be. “I gave you your namesake. Pinky the Clown.”

  “I guess.”

  Knock, knock, knock.

  “And you’re still alive, right?”

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  AJ shrugged. “So trust me.”

  “I don’t think your chest is going to work with her.”

  AJ snorted. “I’m not going to offer my chest. I’m going to be gross and whiny like you.”

  “What? You’re so mean.” Sammy downed his root beer in one gulp, then belched.

  AJ shook his head. “You’re unbelievable, man.”

  Sammy said, “If you’re gonna be me. Who am I going to be?”

  AJ raised an eyebrow.

  “I mean, what am I going to tell her?”

  AJ picked up a piece of pizza. “Follow my lead.” He sauntered to the front door, then pointed at Sammy. “You are just getting out of the shower.”

  Sammy’s eyebrows popped up. “No, I’m not.”

  There was another series of knocks on the door. Louder this time. AJ pointed at the hall. “Yes, you are.”

  Sammy ran to the bathroom, slammed the door, and spun the cold and hot knobs to full blast and pulled the lever at the top of the spout. Water blasted from the showerhead.

  ***

  “Hold up, out there. I’m unlocking the door.” AJ flipped the deadbolt back and forth like it had been locked, then opened the door.

  AJ wasn’t expecting what he found.

  Dark strands of her hair blew loose in the wind, and her long coat was tied fashionably around her small waist. Her eyes were dark and intelligent. Definitely a copper and, by the looks of it, Native American. If she weren’t old and a cop, he’d have let her touch his chest—maybe even ask her out for a drink.

  He glanced her down, then let his eyes travel back up. Slowly.

  She said, “I need your eyes up here.” She pointed at her face.

  He smiled and took a bite of pizza. “No problem, baby.”

  She squinted at him as if she could not understand his language. He straightened up and raised his hand like he’d seen on old Cowboys and Indians cartoons that he’d seen as a kid. “How.”

  “Seriously? Aren’t you a little too old to be telling Indian Chief jokes?” The cop tried to look around him, but he filled out the entire door frame. A piece of sausage rolled off his pizza and landed at his feet. They both looked at it, then at each other again.

  AJ said, “I feel like we just had a moment.”

  The cop blinked, and he could see the irritation in her eyes.

  She said, “Speaking of moments; I’d like to have a moment of yours. AJ, is it?”

  “Sure am, sweetheart. I’m happy to provide you with…” he paused to look her over again, and wiped his free hand over the chest of his flannel shirt, “anything you need.” AJ blew an air kiss, then raised his arm and clutched the door frame.

  The cop rolled her eyes. “It’s Officer Jackson.” She held up her badge. “Don’t mind if I do?” She slipped under his raised arm and walked beneath it into the trailer.

  “Shit,” he muttered under his breath and closed the door. He followed her into the living room, taking another bite of pizza.

  Officer Jackson glanced around, fished a little notebook out of her coat pocket, and scribbled stuff down.

  AJ eyed the messy room, wondering what was so worthy to be written in her notebook.

  Without looking up, Officer Jackson said, “AJ, I was visiting with Jill Johnson—”

  “Sammy’s long-lost sister,” interrupted AJ.

  She glanced up sharply. Her eyes locked onto his, searching him like a bloodhound. “Yeah?”

  It was a question.

  Everyone knew that Jill chick wasn’t Sammy’s sister. No one knew who she was and AJ didn’t care, to be honest. That was Sammy’s business.

  AJ shrugged. “So? What about her?”

  Officer Jackson continued, “I met with her earlier today, and she said I could find Sammy here. Doesn’t happen to be around, does he?”

  Had Jill told the cop Sammy was here? Sammy was gonna be pissed.

  AJ said, “Oh, yeah, he’s here. Hold on. He was just in the shower. I’ll see if he’s out.” AJ walked across the living room to the hallway where he paused and yelled, “Yo Sam-Sam, someone’s here to see ya.”

  The bathroom door opened. A voice said, “Two seconds!” Then, the door closed again.

  AJ turned and smiled at the hot cop, giving her his most charming grin. It worked on all the ladies.

  AJ frowned. Almost all the ladies. Officer Jackson ignored him and turned back to her notebook to scribble.

  He said, “I’m wondering, Officer Jackson, what is it you like to drink? Piña colada, screw…driver with a twist?”

  The woman raised her eyes briefly before lowering them back to her notebook. “Whiskey. Straight up.”

  “Damn, you’re one of those tough-assed bitches.”

  She continued writing. “How did your little brother die, AJ?”

  AJ froze. “Hey, what do you know about that?”

  “Max, wasn’t it?”

  AJ clenched his fist. “Máximo.”

  The cop said, “The autopsy report states he OD’ed on coke, but…”

  AJ sneered. “But what?”

  She shrugged. “I heard you had a disagreement over a girl.”

  AJ slapped his clenched fist down over his open palm. He let out a string of cuss words in his Spanish tongue, much the way
he had heard his Uncle do when frustrated.

  He pointed a finger at the cop. “You better watch that pretty mouth of yours or—”

  Her dark brown eyes met his. “Or what?”

  There was an awkward silence between them, and AJ suddenly realized what she had been doing. He’d seen his Uncle play this role many times when he was trying to distract a dealer, throw him off a touchy subject.

  Officer Jackson touched on AJ’s sore spot to throw him off his game.

  The worst part? It had worked. But what she didn’t know, was that two could play at this game.

  Sammy opened the bathroom door and ambled down the hall in only a towel.

  AJ said, “Yo, Sammy, this bitc—”

  “Officer Jackson,” she interrupted.

  He smirked. “Officer Jackson, is here to see you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll retire to my room with this.” He plucked up a fresh piece of pizza.

  Sammy’s eyes must have gone big as quarters. He could read his mind as clear as if he had said the words themselves. You’re leaving me?

  AJ turned to leave and waited just a sec before he heard her voice—as he knew he would.

  “Actually, I need you to hang around. It’ll just be a moment.”

  “Whatever.” AJ rolled his eyes and walked over to the couch and flopped down dramatically on it. He propped his feet up on the coffee table.

  “Sammy, I’m not sure if you received the phone messages I’ve left you.” Officer Jackson flipped open her notebook again. “Let me make sure I have the right number for you.”

  The cop rattled off a bunch of numbers.

  Sammy said, “Yeah, that’s me. And I got your messages.”

  “Oh yeah?” The cop lady continued to scrawl in her notebook. “Why didn’t you call me back?”

  “Cuz, uh. Uh…” Sammy looked over to AJ for help.

  AJ shrugged and took another bite of pizza.

  The cop paused and glanced up at Sammy. “Because?”

  “Honest truth is the other cop never cared whether I called back or not. I just got out of habit, I guess.”

  “I see,” said the cop.

  Sammy laughed nervously. “Say, where is Officer Wallop? Did he have a donut overdose or something?” Sammy chuckled and sneaked a peek over at AJ hoping for support.

  AJ shook his head and sipped his root beer. That was lame. He couldn’t even fake lame like that, and his look to Sammy said just that.

  “You’ll be happy to know that Officer Wallop is just fine and I will be your new parole officer.” The cop lady slid her pen back behind her ear and closed the notebook. “I understand that you were in prison nine months for grand theft auto, is that right?”

  Sammy shrugged. “Guess.”

  She gave him an impatient look. “Do you want to go back?”

  Sammy frowned and shook his head like a child. “No.”

  The woman’s voice turned kind. “Sammy, if you want to stay out of prison, you need to hold down a job and keep away from Don Juan over here.”

  AJ straightened up. “Hey now, that ain’t nice, Pocahontas.” He chuckled at his clever comeback.

  Officer Jackson smirked back, “I’m not here to play nice.”

  “Whatever,” AJ rolled his eyes. “Besides, Sammy’s been working over at Carnival Circus.”

  The cop lady kept her eyes on Sammy. “Your boss called two days ago. He says you haven’t been to work for three days and he hasn’t heard from you.”

  Sammy was about to respond, so AJ interrupted him before he said anything dumb. “That’s cuz he’s been working for me.”

  That got her attention. Officer Jackson turned and looked AJ squarely in the eye. “I wasn’t asking you. I was asking Sammy—”

  “Yeah, it’s true, Officer.” Sammy said, “AJ’s Uncle has a shop downtown. They’ve been extra busy with everyone switching over to winter tires. He asked me to help out.”

  Officer Jackson raised her eyebrow and closely inspected Sammy’s face, then AJ’s. “What’s the name of this shop?”

  AJ said, “Martinez Tires and Oil.”

  She slipped the pen out from behind her ear, flipped open the notebook and scribbled again. “Why didn’t you inform your boss at Carnival Circus?”

  Sammy laughed. “You ever been to Carnival Circus?”

  “No. Why?”

  He said, “Shit. You must be new to town. It’s a kiddie park. A cheap tourist trap. Half that lot of clowns working there don’t even show up. My boss is just mad because I lost a bet and didn’t buy him booze.”

  “Uh huh. Well,” Officer Jackson said, “It doesn’t matter what the other workers do or do not do, if you want to stay out of prison, you need to show up every day you are scheduled.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” Sammy folded his arms and glared over at AJ.

  AJ snickered.

  Officer Jackson tucked the notebook back into her pocket and clasped her hands in front of her. “What do you do over at Carnival Circus? Do you operate the rides?”

  Sammy said, “Shit, lady, you haven’t been there, have you?”

  She shrugged. “Nope.”

  He shook his head. “You must be new, cuz everyone knows what goes on at Carnival Circus.”

  Officer Jackson looked from Sammy over to AJ.

  AJ wiggled his eyebrows and smiled.

  She turned back to Sammy. “Well, then, fill me in.”

  Sammy said, “It’s where all the clowns round here work when they ain’t got no kiddie parties or magic shows or shit to do.”

  “Excuse me,” said Officer Jackson, “did you say, clowns? As in actual…”

  AJ noted the look on her face, the change in her voice. Obviously, she was unnerved.

  He’d seen her type plenty of times. Clowns terrified her. This was great news. Fantastic news.

  Sammy continued, “Hell, yeah. My stage name is Pinky the Clown cuz…” He held up his left hand and waggled his pinky nub.

  “Oh.” Officer Jackson touched her chest, and gave Sammy a look of wide-eyed wonder—like she was a little girl again. Pocahontas was no longer in control of this conversation. Her fear of clowns was.

  Naturally, Sammy didn’t notice. He went on, “Carnival Circus provides the costumes, gloves, shoes, face paint, masks, beepy noses, suspenders, the wigs, everything, but most of the clowns already have their own stage suits. We get all sorts of clowns from all around the country cuz Washington is one of the few states that has an official clown association. Dues are steep, but it’s worth it cuz someone has gotta put the poor joeys to work. Just think of all the starving clowns there’d be if—”

  Officer Jackson interrupted, “Jo-oey.” She said this slowly, obviously thinking of something or someone.

  Sammy said, “That’s a nickname for clowns. But we do have ourselves a real Joey over at Carnival Circus. A real sweetheart of a guy, right, AJ? Practically, AJ’s best friend. Joey helped out when AJ’s brother died. He would have been homeless and probably starved to death if—”

  AJ put a finger to his lips, and Sammy quieted.

  They both watched Officer Jackson intently.

  She hadn’t noticed that Sammy had stopped talking. She had a faraway look on her face. “Joey. I think I know a Joey.”

  AJ’s heart started pounding. It was her. He knew it. He glanced over at Sammy, and by the look he gave him, AJ knew Sammy was thinking the same thing.

  She was the bitch who broke Joey Jingles’ heart and left him high and dry. The woman had ruined him. Joey always told the story when he was stone drunk, which was most of the time.

  Officer Jackson was suddenly back in the moment. “Tell you what, Sammy. Call your boss and apologize, show up for work, answer your phone when I call, and pee in this cup. We’ll call it good.” She held a specimen cup with a lid on it out to Sammy.

  Sammy took it. “Do I have to pee—”

  “Yes,” the cop lady said sternly, “you have to pee. Now.”

  AJ snickered. Sammy was so de
nse.

  Officer Jackson was back from outer space and on her game. The woman was a real piece of work, especially if she was the one—the one that broke Joey Jingles’ heart.

  Joey and Sammy had been the only ones there for him after his little brother died, and he told Joey he owed him one. Joey thought he meant free booze, but AJ wanted to do more, give more. Do something real—like Joey had done for him. AJ wanted to ruin the little bitch that had ruined his best friend. He’d thought about it for years, praying to Santa Muerte to bring back the woman who broke Joey’s heart so he could slap his big fingers around her throat and feel the sweet pleasure of revenge as he squeezed. AJ wanted this, all of it, but first, he needed to be sure she was the one.

  Sammy started unwrapping the towel around his waist.

  “Stop!” The cop lady held her hand out, then rolled her eyes. “Not here, Sammy. Geez. In the bathroom.”

  Officer Jackson put her hands in her coat pockets and watched him walk down the hall. Without looking at AJ she said, “Look, I can tell you two are close. If you care about your friend, you are going to make sure he shows up to his job at Carnival Circus and stays out of whatever bullshit you’re cooking up here or at your Uncle’s. If this shop of your Uncle’s doesn’t check out, your buddy will be out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

  She turned, and laser-beamed AJ with the intensity of her next words. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” AJ wiped the grease from the pizza on his jeans. “Mind if I see your badge again?”

  She gave him a stern look. “Actually, I do mind. Why?”

  “What’s your first name?”

  “My name is Officer Jackson to you, and that is all you need to know.” Her mouth lifted in a sarcastic grin, but she froze after what he said next.

  “It’s Chloe, isn’t it?”

  Her pale face told him everything he needed to know.

  7

  Hissing Shadows

  WHEN CHLOE WALKED IN THE FRONT door, she was greeted by her bouncing one hundred pound Rhodesian Ridgeback. Flip Flop felt the urge to use her body as a springboard. He jumped off her thigh and licked her face simultaneously, covering her in mud and dog slobber. He then bounded away across the living room toward the kitchen, leaving tracks on the carpet.