Page 16 of Too Close To Call

One thing I know about Case is his tender heart when it comes to helping others in need. Well, Daisy and I are in need of someplace to stay. I look down at Daisy and grin. How can he say no to those adorable eyes?

“Thank you, Melanie. I think I see something that might work.” I take Daisy’s hand and head for the door.

“Do you want me to keep your rental?” she calls out.

I pause and think about that. Do I want a backup or do I want desperation? “No. If this job works out, we’ll have a place to stay.”

She smiles and nods. “Okay, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll hold it for you until next week.”

I don’t have any problems finding the garage, located between the ferry and the marina. I have been here before and, besides that, the island isn’t that big. I don’t know what the building used to be, but there are double garage doors in front with a wood and glass entry door to the left. The sign above is in the same calligraphy font as the rest in town, simply stating Murphy’s Garage.

We walk in the door and into a well-kept waiting room of sorts. A few straight-backed chairs are against one wall and posters are tacked to the walls for different oils, tires, and other automotive products.

The sound of a pneumatic drill can be heard coming from the only other doorway in the room.

“Hey.”

I look up to see a man in greasy coveralls, wiping his hands on a rag as he comes through the door in the back of the room. I feel like I should know him. He was here before when I came to see Case, the one that said Case was too busy to see me. The burning in my chest returns at the memory.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” He crouches down to Daisy’s level. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Paul. What can I help you with today?”

Daisy giggles. “My name is Daisy and this is my mom. She wants a job with a house on the ocean so we can watch for jumping dolphins.”

Paul and I both laugh at the chances of that happening. I hold out my hand and take his greasy one in mine without a flinch. I’m usually the greasy-handed one. “Hi, Paul. I saw your advertisement. Have you hired anyone for the position?”

Paul’s brows pull together in disbelief. “Yeah, we hired a guy a few days ago. Believe me, if we’d known you were going to apply, we would have ditched this guy. We’d much rather have your beautiful face to look at instead of his ugly mug.”

My shoulders fall and all the hope I’d been feeling fizzles out. This would have been perfect. “Oh. Okay. Well, thank you.”

I take Daisy’s hand and start for the door when Paul calls out. “Wait. Our office manager is on her honeymoon and won’t be back for a few weeks. I know it’s temporary, but it would give you time to look for something else. I mean, if you want.”

I pause, curious why he’s offering a job to me. “The temporary part is fine, but I’m afraid Daisy is right. We need a place to stay.”

“You’re in luck. We don’t have a house by the ocean, but there’s an apartment above the shop that’s vacant. The guy we just hired didn’t need it, so I can let you stay there.”

I stare at him, confused and stumped by his over-helpfulness. I smell something suspicious. I take a closer look at the man and it falls into place. I remember him. He was on Case’s team. I only saw him a few times when I was home from college, but does he remember me?

I look up and I can tell by the understanding in his eyes that he does. I drop my gaze. “Why? Why are you helping me?”

Paul lowers his voice. “You hurt him.” His eyes move to Daisy, mumbling to herself as she reads the signs on the wall. I get his meaning.

“I know. That makes me question why you are helping me.”

Paul shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe because he didn’t deserve to go out the way he did. He deserved to go out on his own terms. By his choice. You took that away from him. But mostly I think you both have issues to address.”

I don’t know how to reply to that because he’s right. Isn’t that why I’m here? I just never thought I’d have someone in Case’s camp on my side.

“Just don’t make me regret it,” he tacks on.

I give a single nod. If Paul is going to help me, he at least deserves the truth. “I want to make this right, Paul. That’s why I’m here.”

His lips pull into a smirk. “I figured when I saw you walk in. We all thought there was more than Dale’s accident going on.”

I nibble on my bottom lip nervously. “Will this get you in trouble with Case?”

He shrugs indifferently. “Probably, but I can take it. What I can’t take is his mopey ass and that’s all we’ve been getting around here since he got back from Charlotte.”

I chuckle and ask, “So where’s this apartment and when do I start?”

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