Part 9 (1/2)

Atherton, time to leave! Macks voice boomed from the head of the stairwell. A blanket-wrapped bundle tucked under his arm, he looked as if hed overheard them. And didnt approve of what hed heard.

Atherton, Rollins murmured. About a dozen years ago there was a sad story in the Atlanta Journal Const.i.tution about a family named Atherton. A real tragedy Chloe stood up so quickly she tipped her chair over. Rollins righted it.

Can we get going? Mack asked impatiently.

Yes. Please.

She shot a wave at Rollins, then headed for the stairs.

I dont like you pumping my coworkers for information about me, Mack growled as he pushed her outside. In fact, I dont like you poking around in my personal life, period.

She knew how he felt, but she said, Is that why Im back to Atherton?

He fairly threw the bundle he carried into the trunk.

What is that? she asked.

A delivery Nash needs me to make.

To whom?

He leveled that cold-eyed gaze on her again. To a family badly affected by the storm. Youll forgive me, he said acidly, if I protect their pride by not divulging their ident.i.ty.

Her nostrils flared on a sharp intake of breath. When Claire had died, the newspaper wasnt supposed to have printed Chloes name because shed been a minor. Only twelve years old. But someone got it wrong. Transposed the number to twenty-one. Printed her name. And unleashed even more grief on an already shattered family.

Clutching the cruisers armrest until her knuckles went white, Chloe was grateful that Mack was brooding. She needed the silence to compose herself.

At the courthouse she followed Mack into the formidable brick building. What are processes? she made herself ask.

Civil summonses. Criminal summonses. Domestic violence orders. Drivers license pickup orders. Eviction notices. Subpoenas. Mechanically he reeled off the list. Make an appointment with Judge Franklin. Sh.e.l.l be glad to answer any of your questions. She makes the decrees. I just serve em.

Well, if he wasnt going to give her even this cut-and-dried information, shed have to keep her eyes and ears open. Maybe the deputy wasnt capable of thawing out. At least not in a weeks time. Maybe she didnt want him to. If the department had to be the star of her article, after all, there was nothing wrong with a well-written civics lesson.

She followed Mack as he checked in, signed a ream of papers, then picked up the processes. He didnt introduce her to anyone. Back in the patrol car, he began sorting the legal forms.

What are you doing? she asked to keep her thoughts on work.

Im putting these in a delivery order. No need to waste gas running back and forth across the county. He came to one doc.u.ment and froze. d.a.m.n! Hes not going to get away with this.

What?

Mack slammed the car into gear and backed up, narrowly missing the big silver BMW in the spot marked Judge Esther Franklin.

As the deputy switched on the overhead flas.h.i.+ng lights and charged out of the parking lot, the process hed been reading slid onto the floor at Chloes feet. She picked it up. An eviction notice. It stated that one landlord, Frank Hudson, had begun proceedings to evict one tenant, Tanya Donahue, from his property.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

M ACK COULDNT BELIEVE Frank would do this.

Turning off Main Street onto Williams, he pulled to a stop in front of the Hudsons tidy bungalow. He left the lights flas.h.i.+ng. He wanted Frankand Franks neighborsto take notice. The man, dressed impeccably as usual in khakis and logoed golf s.h.i.+rt, was clearing the front yard of minor debris from the storm. He looked up at the commotion. And looked downright chagrined when he saw it was Mack getting out of the cruiser.

Im well within my rights, he protested as Mack strode across the lawn. Shes three months behind on the rent.

Are we talking letter of the law or spirit? Mack asked, planting himself in front of Frank and trying to keep his anger in check. Have a heart. The womans a war widow. With four kids. And no job.

Frank kept his rake between the two of them. Although his perfectly styled silver hair didnt budge in the breeze, the man himself looked ruffled. And military benefits, I presume.

Mack clenched his fists at his side. You can shove those so-called military benefits. They dont cover squat.

Well, I have to look after me and mine, Frank said, glancing over his shoulder to where Lara Hudsons face appeared in an upstairs window. My company downsized, and I was let go.

Upper management, werent you? When Mack took another step forward, Frank dropped the rake and took two steps back. I bet you walked away with a nice settlement.

Thats none of your business. Nervously Frank fiddled with his wedding ring. Tanyas not the only one with a family to raise. Right now mine needs the income from my rental properties. Im willing to forgive Tanya those three months, but I want her out so I can put someone in who can pay.

Youre going to throw her out on the street, Mack snapped, finding it more and more difficult to hold on to what scant patience he had left.

Once the notice is served, shes got ten days, Frank offered in defense as he glanced toward the street. Traffic on Williams was slowing as people paused to look at the patrol car and its flas.h.i.+ng lights. The confrontation on the lawn. She has family, Frank insisted. Her parents are here in town. Along with her sister. Her brothers in Brevard. And what about the Donahues? They should be helping her.

For whatever reason, they hadnt so far. Mack had heard rumors the Donahues were struggling, too.

Who is she? Frank suddenly asked, pointing over Macks shoulder.

Mack turned to see Chloe standing nearby and scribbling in her notepad. Hed totally forgotten about her. But why not use her to histo Tanyasadvantage?

Chloe Atherton, he declared, gesturing her closer, is a member of the press.

Why the h.e.l.l did you have to bring the media into this? Frank bellowed, waving his arms and finally disturbing his hair.

Shes here for the week. Doing an article on the department. You happened to be part of my job today.

I shouldnt have been, Frank said directly to Chloe. You make sure you take this down. Once the judge signs off on the eviction, the sheriff is sworn to deliver the notice to the tenant. He swung round to glower at Mack again. The landlord isnt supposed to be hara.s.sed.

Im not hara.s.sing you, Frank, Mack replied, lowering his voice. Aiming, if not for conciliatory, then for sane. I thought we could talk, man to man. Although what kind of man could so easily toss a struggling family out of their home? Maybe work something out that would show compa.s.sion to a widow and her fatherless children.

Lara Hudson stepped out of the house onto the front steps. Holding tightly to a hand towel, she didnt make an effort to come down into the yard.

Thats a low blow, and you know it, Frank fumed. Tanya Donahue is going to be okay. If n.o.body else sees to it, you will.

Mack cut a sideways look at Chloe, who was recording this whole interaction. I shouldnt have to see to it. Her problem wasnt a department issue until you made it one. Write that down, he said to Chloe.

Write this down, Lara called out from the porch. Deputy Whittaker is crazy.

Mack recoiled.

He wont stop until hes personally saved every down-and-out soul in Colum County, Lara continued loudly as she hurried down the front steps to stand protectively in front of her husband. She spoke to Chloe, but turned a righteous glare on Mack. Hes making himself a long list. Started with the sheriff as a boy. Moved on to those illegal-alien kids at the high school. Then Burt Jones. Now hes added Tanya Donahue and her lot. But for all his so-called charity, Mack Whittaker sure has had a devil of a time saving himself.