Jake got a visit from Wyatt later in the afternoon. Frederick knocked on the door to his workshop, where he’d sequestered himself to think about his day and try to get some work done.
It had been hit and miss as far as productivity went. He’d work for several minutes, but then his mind would wander back to the incident with the two bandanaed dudes wanting to grab someone now that the redhead was gone.
Try as he might, Jake couldn’t think of who else in the vicinity it could have been.
Jake was happy for the interruption. He wasn’t getting much done anyway.
“Heard you had another exciting day,” Wyatt said in lieu of a greeting when Jake walked into the retail area.
“Yep. That’s the only kind I seem to have of late.”
Wyatt nodded, a smile shaping his mouth. “Also, heard you were on a date with Beryl Ashcraft right before. Is that true?”
Jake’s gaze had been wandering around the shop until Wyatt said Beryl’s name.
“What?”
“You heard me. Gossip even makes it to the sheriff’s station in Skeeter Bite.”
Frederick grinned. “If you don’t need me, I will go pretend to take care of something in the back, well away from this conversation.”
“I don’t mean to tease you,” Wyatt said once Frederick was out of earshot. “I just so rarely hear gossip in the early stages. It’s new for me. Sorry to show off.”
“Who told you?”
Wyatt smiled. “Actually, the two dudes we picked up, still wearing their bandanas, at the edge of town. They almost made it to the Big Bang Truck Stop. Instead, they ran out of gas about 500 feet from the pumps.” He tsked. “So close. But such bad luck.”
Jake’s gaze narrowed. “You caught them?”
“Yep. Since I’m investigating a few incidents involving you, Alienn’s sheriff’s department didn’t mind me sitting in on the questioning.”
“And they told you about Beryl and me having a date?” Jake was incredulous. Tattled on by criminals? Unfathomable.
Wyatt grinned again and nodded. “Not right at first, but when we questioned them, it turned out they thought you were going to the park alone and they had to wait for you to separate from Beryl before they abducted you.”
“They admitted it?” Jake asked, stunned that they’d been so forthcoming.
“Well, I sort of led them around to it and tricked them into telling me. It wasn’t that difficult. I don’t believe we’re dealing with the sharpest crayons in the box, if you get my meaning.”
Jake squinted. Not the sharpest crayons in the box? What? Nope. He didn’t get it.
Wyatt tried again. “They aren’t very clever, is what I was trying to say. Someone smarter than they are talked them into doing this foolish thing. They were supposed to grab you and take you to an abandoned building out of town. But the two banditos are insistent that they don’t know who it is or why this mysterious person wants you captured. Only an anonymous text message from some burner phone with someone promising untold riches. The instigator’s phone has already been discarded, no doubt. We checked and the phone number is no longer in service. I’m afraid that avenue is a dead end.”
“Do I have to press charges against the two guys?” Jake asked. Neither one of the “banditos” had laid a hand on him. Beryl had grabbed him and pulled him out of the way before they could. “They didn’t actually grab me, you know.”
“No. You don’t have to press charges. There are several other citizens they managed to anger on their big escape out of town, driving like murderous marauders were after them instead of one patrol car.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing major, some minor vehicle damage. There were no deaths or injuries, but they’ll both face misdemeanors and a trip to court for sure.” Wyatt shook his head as if disappointed in the youth of Alienn.
“Okay. Any news on the break-in at my house?” Jake asked.
Wyatt nodded. “Oh, right. I almost forgot. This morning the report came back on the purple substance in your garage by the back door.”
“Oh? What was it?”
Wyatt’s eyebrows lifted. “The crime lab does not know. At least not yet. They said it was an organic material, but nothing they’ve been able to identify. At least not yet. They’ll keep at it, though. Don’t you worry.”
Jake smiled. “I’m trying not to worry, but the odd incidents in my life seem to be stacking up. My house being broken into and now roving banditos by the park trying to kidnap me for some mysterious person. I hardly know what to think.”
