Kitabı oku: «A Bride for Jericho Bravo», sayfa 2

Chapter Two

“Did you hear that?” Jericho frowned at his brother.

The sudden roar began to travel. It rumbled along the side of the house, back to front.

“Sounds like your bike,” Ash said, looking puzzled.

Jericho glanced over his brother’s shoulder, out the window that faced the front of the house, just in time to see Tessa’s crazy sister rolling off down the street under the golden light of the streetlamps. She was riding his bike.

He said, “Your sister-in-law just stole my bike.”

Ash looked at him like he was the one with a screw loose.

Jericho decided not to argue. “I need to borrow a car.”

“Rico …”

“A car, Ash. Now.”

Ash let out a weary sigh and fished a set of keys from his pocket. “The Mercedes. First door on the end, by the fence.”

It took a few minutes to get to the Mercedes, get it started, get the garage door up and get rolling. That was a few minutes too long, as far as Jericho was concerned.

By the time he reached the street, Tessa’s disturbed sister was long gone. He rolled down all the windows so he could hear the bike if he got anywhere near it and he turned the car in the direction she’d been headed when she passed in front of Ash’s study.

At the corner, a T intersection, he took a wild guess and went right, figuring a rider unfamiliar with a big bike would take the easy turn, given a choice. After that, he went straight until the fork in the road, where he veered to the right again and tried not to think about the damage that could be done to an expensive piece of machinery with a crazy woman riding it.

And what about the crazy woman herself? What could happen to her was even scarier. At least she’d been wearing his helmet when she drove past the front window. If she ended up eating pavement, she might break every bone in her skinny little body—but just maybe she wouldn’t kill herself.

He kept going, ears tuned for the bike’s distinctive sound. As he turned the circle around a doughnut intersection where five streets came together, he heard the familiar rumble.

From there, he just followed the sound.

He caught up with her as she turned—right again—onto the street that circled the park. She wasn’t going very fast, which was really good news. Plus, the street was essentially deserted. Two pickups went past going the opposite direction, headlights cutting the thickening darkness. But no vehicles blocked the space between the Mercedes and the bike.

Once he found her, it was simple. He got a bit too close, showing her some wheel, and she guided the bike nearer to the curb, wobbling a little as she went, to let him pass.

But he didn’t pass. He just got up parallel with her and drove along at a matching crawl. Any slower and she’d kill that big engine. In fact, how she’d managed not to kill it before then was a mystery to him.

She glanced over, her face all pinched and pissed off inside his too-big helmet. And she saw it was him. The surprise on her face might have been funny, if he hadn’t been more than a little freaked that she would hit the gas and lose control.

But the fates were kind. The sight of him had her easing off the throttle rather than gunning it. The bike sputtered and died. She rolled toward the shoulder. When the bike stopped, she put her feet down. He pulled the Mercedes in behind her.

Leaving the car’s engine running and the headlights on to see by, he was out the door and heading for her as she lowered the stand and climbed off. She undid the helmet strap. Her light brown hair caught static and crackled when she lifted the helmet free of her head.

He reached her. Moving slowly and carefully, she set the helmet on the seat. And then she turned and met his eyes. He had all kinds of things he was going to yell at her, all kinds of names he was going to call her.

But those big blue eyes looked so sad and so lost, he forgot about how he thought she was crazy. He even let go of the proud rage she had stirred in him when she took him for a burglar in his own brother’s house.

It seemed only natural. Just to hold out his arms. She stared at him for a moment, a small space of time that somehow became endless. In the headlight’s hard glare, her expression showed surprise. And then, in an instant, acceptance.

With a heavy sigh, she sagged against him. He gathered her in.

A couple more cars went by as they stood there, embracing in the wash of bright light. She hooked her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest. A soft, wordless sound escaped her. He felt the warmth of her breath, easing its way through the cloth of his shirt, touching his flesh.

And then she pulled back. He had the strangest urge to keep holding on. But he tamped that urge down. He let her go and she stepped away.

She hung her head. “I didn’t even have the guts to go fast.”

“And that’s a good thing.” He spoke sternly. “It would have been a seriously bad idea to do that.”

“Yeah. I guess.” She pulled something from her back pocket and held it out. It was the bike’s ignition cap.

He took it from her, suddenly remembering that her father was a mechanic. He’d met Patrick Jones at Ash’s wedding. “Your dad runs a garage, right?”

“Uh-huh. He taught me a thing or two about engines. Enough to make me dangerous, I guess.” She was still looking down, subdued now.

He just didn’t get it. “I gotta ask. What’s this about? Why would you steal my bike? What’s the point?”

She shook her head. “It’s a long story.”

“Try me.”

“My boyfriend dumped me.”

“I heard. I’m sorry. But … why take it out on me?”

She sent him a narrowed glance, and then looked at the pavement some more. “Because … I’m insane and possibly a drug addict?”

“What?”

She looked up again, a flash of anger in her eyes and then, as before, back down. “I heard what you said to Ash.”

He winced. But still, she shouldn’t have been listening in. “You were eavesdropping.”

“No, I wasn’t. It just … happened. I left my purse on the front hall table. Don’t ask me why, I don’t why. But when I realized I’d left it there, I went back to get it. I heard you guys in the study, talking. I knew I had to go past the open door to get to the table. I knew you would see me, and I would feel foolish to have wandered off without my purse—the family idiot on the loose without a keeper. It would be just one more proof that I’m a can short of a six-pack, you know? So I hesitated. That was when I heard what you said.”

Regret tugged at him. “Look, I really am sorry. I can see now I had it all wrong about you.”

“Yeah, well. It seriously ticked me off at the time. But now that I’ve cooled off a little, I guess I have to admit that I completely get why you would think I’m out of my mind.”

“So this, taking my bike, was payback?”

Still staring at the pavement, she shrugged. “In a totally wussy, pitifully ineffective sort of way, yeah.”

He touched her strong little chin with his finger, guiding it up so that she was looking at him again. “We can call it even from here. Start fresh. How ‘bout that?”

She made a disbelieving sound. “You sure you don’t want to have me arrested?”

He held her gaze. “It’s tempting, but I’ll pass.”

“Maybe a little time in jail would do me good,” she said half-jokingly, mocking herself.

And suddenly, he wanted to shake her. She didn’t have a clue about what happened behind bars.

His exasperation must have shown on his face. Her eyes widened. “Yikes. What did I say this time?”

Gruffly, he advised, “You don’t want to go to jail. Take my word on that.”

“Uh. Okay.”

He gentled his tone. “So, you think you can drive Ash’s Mercedes back to the house without running into anything?”

She hung her head again. “I could. If I could only find my way there.”

He understood. “You’re lost.”

“Oh, yeah. In more ways than one.”

He felt a surge of something that could only be called protectiveness. It surprised him. He wasn’t the protective type. “Here.” He took her small, soft hand, turned it over and put Ash’s keys in it. “You’re gonna be fine.”

“Oh, I hope so.”

“Just follow me.”

Marnie felt a little better about everything as she followed Jericho through the dark, quiet streets of Tessa’s neighborhood. Her very, very bad day was looking up a little.

Yeah, she’d let her whacked-out emotional state get the better of her and screwed up royally, stealing Jericho’s bike like that. But somehow, it had worked out all right. She even had a strange feeling she might end up calling Jericho a friend.

Who would have guessed that might happen?

Life was no rose garden. But it could surprise you in a good way now and then.

Even in the dark, she recognized Tessa’s street when they reached it. And she wasn’t far behind when Jericho turned his bike into the driveway beside Tessa’s house.

Tessa and Ash were waiting on the front step. Ash had his arm around her and she huddled close to him. The headlights of the Mercedes swept over them and Marnie saw that her sister’s face was pale and drawn with worry.

Way to go, Jones.

Guilt tightened her stomach and made her feel crappy all over again. She really needed to get her act together. Making Tessa suffer for her erratic behavior was not the way to treat her loyal, generous, loving big sister. Tessa would do anything for her and she knew it. She needed to start showing a little consideration and respect.

Things got worse in the house. Ash and Tessa were there in the kitchen when Marnie and Jericho came in through the glass doors.

“Marnie!” Tessa’s relief was painfully evident. “I’m so glad you’re all right….” She started to come to her.

Ash held her back with a hand on her shoulder. His blue eyes were dark with fury. Marnie realized she’d never seen him angry before. But he was now—angry at her. “What is the matter with you? You had your sister scared to death.”

“Ash, don’t …” Tessa gave him a pleading look. “It’s okay. She’s okay.”

Ash was not pacified. He pinned Marnie with an unforgiving glare. “You’re family. That means you’re welcome in this house. But you damn well better not pull any more stunts like this one tonight, or there is going to be big trouble between you and me.”

Marnie felt his harsh words like blows. They were true words. And that made them hurt all the more. She opened her mouth to say she was so sorry and she would never do anything like that again.

But Tessa spoke first, her gentle voice soothing. “Ash. Come on.” She turned to Marnie, her eyes moist with tears. “He worries about me. Please don’t take offense.”

Marnie let out a cry. “I don’t. Of course, I don’t. He’s absolutely right.”

Ash nodded. “You better believe I am.”

Jericho stepped in then. “Come on, Ash. Dial it back. She knows she did wrong.”

Ash shifted his furious gaze to his brother. “What? Now you’re defending her? What’s up with that?”

Marnie cleared her throat. “We, um, we came to an understanding, Jericho and me. He still thinks I’m weird—but not crazy or on drugs.”

Jericho explained, “She overheard us talking in the study.”

“Talking about what?” Tessa demanded.

Ash answered reluctantly, “Jericho was saying that maybe she needed professional help.”

Jericho snorted. “I wasn’t nearly that diplomatic about it.”

“Oh, no …” Tessa stared at her pityingly.

Marnie shrugged and looked down at the floor. Since Jericho had caught up with her on his bike, she’d done a lot of looking down. “I did overhear what Jericho said. And I was a little crazy. But I’m pulling it together, as of now.” She raised her head, straightened her spine, and made herself meet her brother-in-law’s still-angry gaze. “I’m past the nervous breakdown phase. I swear I am.”

Ash gave her a long once-over. Finally, he nodded. “Well, all right, then. Sorry for jumping down your throat.” He pulled Tessa closer and pressed a kiss to her temple.

She nudged him in the side. “You went a little overboard, you know?”

“Yeah,”Ash admitted. “Maybe. But I don’t like to see you freaked out, especially now, with the baby coming.”

Marnie wondered if she’d heard right. “Uh. The baby?”

Jericho let out a low chuckle.

Tessa sighed.

Ash’s brows drew together. “You didn’t tell her.”

Tessa sent him a weary glance. “I was waiting till she at least had a good night’s sleep. But so much for that.”

Marnie groaned. “That’s right. You didn’t have even one margarita, just to be sociable. And no wine. Only sparkling water. Am I oblivious or what?”

Tessa eased out of Ash’s protective embrace. “You have a lot on your mind.”

Jericho said, “Hey, Ash. Walk me out.”

Marnie sent him a grateful look. “Thanks, Jericho. For everything.”

“Later.” One corner of his mouth twitched in what could almost be called a smile as he turned again for the French doors.

When the men were gone and the sisters were alone, Marnie grabbed Tessa in a long, tight hug. “I can hardly believe it. A baby. My sister’s having a baby….” She took Tessa by the shoulders and held her away enough to look up into her sweet face. “When are you due?”

“Late October.”

“You’re going to be an amazing mother, you know that?”

Tessa’s cheeks flushed. It was good to see some color back in them. “I’m going to give it my best shot.”

“I’m so sorry I scared you. Never, ever again.”

Tessa’s eyes gleamed. “Well, at least if you could try and wait until after the baby’s born …”

“It’s a promise.” She caught both of Tessa’s hands. “You were always on my side—well, except when we were little. Then you tried to run my life.”

Tessa looked suddenly prim. It was a look she used to wear a lot when she was a kid, back when Marnie would constantly razz her, calling her Saint Teresa. “You were a wild child,” Tessa said. “You used to swear like a sailor on shore leave, remember? And you were always running away, freaking everybody out….”

Marnie felt her shoulders slump. “Looks like I’m up to my old tricks, huh? Only minus the wild part. Somewhere I lost track of that—of my wild side. Lately, I’m about as wild as a stale slice of white bread.”

Tessa pulled her close again, whispered, “You’re still wild at heart. You know you are.”

“Oh, yeah, right.”

“You are.”

Marnie couldn’t help asking, hopefully, “You think?”

“I know.” Outside, Jericho’s chopper roared to life. The sisters were quiet as the rumbling moved along the driveway and then faded away down the street. Then Tessa spoke again. “I’m so glad you and Jericho seem to have worked out your differences.”

“I hated him at first.”

“No kidding.”

“But you know, I can see now that he’s an okay guy after all. A really good guy, actually.”

“He’s got a lot of heart. And in the past few years, he’s turned his life around.”

Marnie wondered what exactly that meant.

But before she could ask Tessa about it, Ash came in. Marnie apologized again for everything.

Ash said he wanted to let bygones be bygones. “I’m glad you came to us. And I meant it when I said you’re welcome to stay as long as you want to.”

Marnie told them good night and went back to the guesthouse, where she drew a bath and sank gratefully into it, sighing in pleasure as she let the hot water ease all her tensions away.

Things could be worse, she was thinking. And then she laughed at her own sudden optimism. Her life, after all, was still a great big mess. But somehow, she felt better about it.

It wasn’t even forty-eight hours since the breakup, but she was already beginning to see that her relationship with Mark really hadn’t been that good for her. In the years they were together, she had slowly relinquished her life to him, until she lived in his shadow.

His friends became her friends. His world, hers. He had a big trust fund set up for him by his dad. And he also made a lot more money than she ever would. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, to just stop working, to let him support her. After all, her jobs never brought in much anyway.

Without Mark to pay the bills, she had almost nothing to call her own.

But there was a bright side. All of a sudden, she was nobody’s shadow. She’d stepped into the light. She could see her life clearly now. Too bad what she saw wasn’t all that great.

Mark had offered her money “to hold her over,” when he told her they were through. She had proudly refused him, which had seemed really noble at the time—but was actually kind of stupid, when you got right down to it. Bottom line, she was on her own with five hundred dollars in her checking account. She had two years of junior college and a hodgepodge of subsistence-level work experience to recommend her to a prospective employer.

But she could get crazy all over again if she started dwelling on her chances of finding a decent job with her minimal skills in a not-so-great economy. She closed her eyes and let her body float in the cooling bathwater and tried to turn her wayward mind to soothing things.

For some reason, her thoughts drifted to Jericho. She could see him now, behind the dark screen of her shuttered eyelids, in the hard glare of the Mercedes’ headlights, when he caught up with her on his bike.

He’d held out his arms to her.

It was the last thing she’d expected him to do.

But he had done it.

And somehow, that moment—when his big, tattooed arms closed around her—that was the turning point. That was when she knew: in time, she was going to be all right.

The world had simple kindness in it after all. How strange that a big, scary biker guy like Jericho Bravo had ended up being the one to make her see that.

Chapter Three

“Are you sure you don’t mind if I stay a few weeks?” Marnie asked the next day.

It was after nine and Ash had gone to work. Marnie and Tessa were sitting at the table in the kitchen, the morning sun pouring in through the glass panes of the French doors, Tessa with a cup of herbal tea and Marnie with her third mug of coffee. Mona Lou, the bulldog, was curled up in her doggy bed nearby.

Tessa said, “The guesthouse is yours for as long as you want it. And Ash and I discussed it some more, last night after you left and we—”

“Don’t tell me. He said he wished I would go away and never come back, but since he’d told me I could stay, he felt honor-bound to stick by his word.”

“Oh, stop. He said no such thing. Now, will you let me finish?”

“Sorry. Go ahead.”

“Well, we were talking about your situation and we got to discussing the money thing.”

Marnie shrugged. “You want me to pay rent? That’s reasonable.”

Tessa set her cup in the saucer with a sharp clink. “Of course not.”

“Tessa, it’s fair. I don’t mind at all.”

“You are not paying us rent.”

“Tessa …”

“I don’t want to hear any more about that.”

“Okay, okay.” Marnie put up both hands. “Since you insist, I’ll be more than happy to stay in your guesthouse for free. And if you weren’t talking about my paying rent, then …?”

“Look. Do you need money? If you do, just say so. We would be only too happy to—”

“No. Thanks. But no, thanks.”

“Don’t be so proud.”

“I’m not.” She rethought that. “Well, okay. I am. Pride’s about all I have left at this point.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Tessa insisted. “Don’t make it one. If you’re planning on staying for a while, you’re bound to need a little cash to tide you over. ”

“I have a little cash.” Very little cash, as a matter of fact. “Also, I’m planning to earn my way while I’m here.”

Her sister gave her a disapproving look and then asked, with her mouth pinched up, “A job?”

“That’s right. I’m sort of a Jane-of-all-trades, after all. I’m sure I can find something. Did you know that I was even a short-order cook once?”

Tessa was still frowning. “You want to flip burgers?”

“I want a paycheck for the time I’m here.”

“But … there’s no need to rush into anything. Maybe you should, you know, take it easy for a week or so at least. Relax. Take some time off.”

“Tessa.” Marnie gave her a patient look. “You so don’t get it. I’ve had time off. The past five years since I’ve been with Mark, I’ve hardly worked at all.”

“But if you—”

“Tessa.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t go all Saint Teresa on me. Please.”

Tessa put on her most innocent expression. “I would never try to tell you what to do.” As if she hadn’t just done exactly that.

But Marnie didn’t take offense. She knew that Tessa was only being bossy out of love. “Well.” Marnie sent her sister a fond smile. “Then we understand each other.”

Tessa got her pinch-mouthed look again. But at least she didn’t say anything more.

Ash had left the morning paper on the table. Marnie picked it up and flipped it to the want ads. What she saw there sent a little shiver down her spine.

It also made her smile. “Speaking of jobs. What do you think of that?” Marnie set down the paper and pointed.

The ad read:

Temporary Office Manager Sought

Busy motorcycle shop: repair and custom

Familiarity with Word, Excel and general office experience required. Past experience in car or motorcycle repair a plus.

Contact Gus, San Antonio Choppers (212) 555–2873

Tessa’s nod was beyond reluctant. “Yeah. So?”

“Why only temporary?”

“The woman who runs the office is going on maternity leave—and you’re not thinking of going to work for Jericho, are you?”

“Why not?” Marnie laughed. “You don’t think he’ll hold it against me that I stole his bike, do you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you know you were thinking it.”

“You’re serious. You want to work in a motorcycle shop?” Tessa couldn’t believe it. But then, she’d never hung around the North Magdalene Garage in the old days, helping their dad, like Marnie used to do. To Tessa, a car was for transportation, period. And a motorcycle … well, she might admire the art and technical skill that went into Jericho’s choppers, but she clearly didn’t find them all that intriguing.

Marnie did. “Yeah. I think it might be interesting. And it just so happens that I have experience in car repair.”

“Working for Dad, you mean.”

“I also know Word and Excel. More or less. And I worked in an office. Once. Accounts payable and receivable. It was really boring.”

Tessa sipped her tea and wore her best I-am-staying-out-of-it look.

Marnie reached across and patted her arm. “Come on. Be fair. Think about it. Jericho is my brother-in-law. And we’re on good terms—as of now, anyway. And the job sounds kind of interesting. Plus, it’s temporary and I’m looking for something temporary. It could be just what I need.”

Tessa set down her cup and beamed her most beatific smile. “Did I utter a word of objection?”

“You didn’t have to. I can see it all over your face.”

“But did I say anything?”

“All right, fine. No. You didn’t. You’re a model of total non-bossiness.”

“Thank you.”

“Gus is Jericho’s partner in the shop, right?”

“That’s right,” Tessa said. “Gus owned the shop originally. And he and Jericho go way back. He let Jericho keep his first bike there, at the shop, while he was in prison.”

Marnie almost choked on her coffee. “Wait. What? Somebody went to prison?”

“I thought I told you that. Jericho used to steal cars. He would sell them to some guys who parted them out to repair shops. He got caught and did five years for grand theft auto.”

“Whoa. Wow. When?”

Tessa shook her head. “I could have sworn I told you all about this.”

“Tessa. When?”

“He was young. Twenty, I think. That was ten years ago. He did those five years and he’s been out for about five more. But right after his release, he got arrested down in Mexico for drug dealing. Gabe got him out of that one.”

Marnie remembered Gabe from the wedding—tall, well-dressed, slick. Really good-looking. “Gabe’s the family lawyer, right?”

“That’s right. And as it turned out, the thing in Mexico was a bad rap, a complete setup.”

“Jericho wasn’t really dealing?”

“No. It was just some trumped-up charge because he talked back to a policeman down there. Gabe got it thrown out.”

“So that was what you meant last night, when you said that Jericho has turned his life around …” Marnie thought of the spark of fury in his eyes when she’d joked about his sending her to jail for stealing his bike. His reaction made a lot more sense now.

Tessa explained, “Ash says Jericho was always the rebel of the family, the one with no interest in doing anything his father wanted him to do, ever.”

Davis. That was their father’s name. Marnie vaguely remembered the older man: thick, white hair, a commanding presence, a firm handshake and icy green eyes.

Tessa frowned and ran her finger around the rim of her teacup. “Davis is trying harder now to be a … kinder man than he once was. But he’s a tough character. And he was building a dynasty, you know? He wanted his boys to get good educations and come to work for the family company. He had no patience for a troubled son, and no respect for Jericho’s considerable mechanical skills. Ash said his dad once yelled at Jericho that he didn’t need a damn grease monkey for a son. If he wanted his car fixed, he’d take it to a shop.”

“What a bastard.”

Tessa sighed. “Well, yeah. Davis can be a real jerk, it’s true. But as I said, he’s been working on lightening up—and speaking of people’s fathers …”

Marnie moaned. “Oh, no. In case you didn’t notice, I’ve been putting that off.”

Tessa had on her wise-big-sister look again. “You have to let them know what’s going on.”

“No, I don’t.”

“What if Dad or Gina calls you in Santa Barbara?”

“They’ll try my cell if no one answers. And if Mark picks up in Santa Barbara, he’ll tell them I’m here, safe, with you.”

“Marnie.” Tessa said her name and then just looked at her. In her bed in the corner, Mona Lou let out a long, sad sigh.

Marnie grumbled, “You are going to make such a good mother. You’re so damn sure of what other people need to be doing.”

“Call home.”

Marnie said darkly, “And you know what will happen when I do.”

Tessa broke eye contact first. “Don’t worry about Grandpa.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“You’re not calling him, you’re calling Dad and Gina.”

“I don’t have to call him. As soon as Gina and Dad know, Grandpa will find out. He always finds out. And you know how he is. He’ll probably drive that old wreck of a Cadillac all the way here to Texas, just to give me some advice.”

“Come on, Marnie. He’s over ninety. His days of driving long distances are done.”

“Think again. He’s Oggie Jones.”

“He only does it out of love.”

“Well, right now, I don’t need Grandpa Oggie’s special brand of love.”

“Marnie. Phone home.”

Making that call wasn’t as bad as Marnie had expected it to be. Gina clucked over her and her dad asked her if she needed money.

Why did everyone suddenly want to give her money? It was a little insulting and a lot reassuring. They loved her, she knew that. They wanted to do what they could to make sure she was okay.

She told them to hug her half brothers, Brady and Craig, for her, and hung up feeling good that they knew what was going on. Hey, she could get lucky and they wouldn’t even tell her grandfather about her situation.

Well, a girl can hope….

Next, she called her birth mother in Arkansas. That was a short conversation. Marybeth Lynch Jones Leventhaal had remarried recently and her new husband was a widower with five young children. Marybeth also ran a busy real estate business. That didn’t leave her a lot of time for chatting on the phone. Marnie’s mom said she loved her and to call if she needed anything.

After that, she debated whether to call San Antonio Choppers and ask for the partner, Gus. Or to ask for Jericho first?

And then she decided it would work more in her favor just to show up and apply for the job. After all, she reasoned, it would be harder to turn down a needy relative in person than it would be on the phone.

Northwest of the 410 loop, on a stretch of dusty road studded with flat-roofed strip malls and used car lots, Jericho’s shop was housed in a barnlike structure of gray-painted brick.

The shop’s name, San Antonio Choppers, was written big and bold above the front entrance in a sort of Gothic/heavy metal–looking script on a logo shaped like a bat—or maybe a winged shield. A high chain-link fence topped with coils of barbed wire rimmed the wide circle of parking lot that surrounded the building.

Marnie drove through the open gate and parked her Camry across a stretch of blacktop from the door, next to a Harley that looked like it had been around since World War II, with handlebars wrapped in black tape and a hand-stitched rawhide seat. Feeling a little out of place, she got out of the car, straightened her snug denim skirt and walked tall across the asphalt to the thick steel front door with the wide pane of glass on the top.

Even from outside, she could hear the muffled beat of loud music, and the scream of some metal-slicing saw. And pounding. Someone was pounding with a heavy hammer—probably on steel. There were big bikes in a row close to the door and a number of mean-looking customized antique cars as well. One of the cars bore a giant plaque across the trunk that read Pedestrian Killer.

Marnie refused to be daunted. She marched up to that heavy door and yanked it wide.

The music got louder, so did the pounding and the scream of sawed metal. And she was only in the office, which had a high counter, a desk and file cabinets behind it. Beyond the desk and file cabinets, there was a waist-high sliding window that ran the width of the far wall, mirroring the windows that flanked the front door. Through the glass of the far window, she could see the cavernous shop itself and the men working in there. She counted at least six lifts and a welding area back in a distant corner, and steel-railed stairs going up to another level. It seemed a pretty big operation.