Page 67 of Jam and Jingle Bells
“I wish I could tell you, Addie. Do you remember anything about the vehicle?”
“It was dark and I didn’t get a plate, other than to see it was from Michigan. The car was black or maybe dark blue. Four-door sedan it looked like. Windows were tinted dark.”
His lips pulled into a line as he wrote. “That’s a description of the car we found on video the night his business was damaged. We couldn’t get a plate that night either. They’re probably changing the plates regularly anyway. Do you remember anything else?”
Ellis sighed heavily. “I had my back turned to them so I never saw it coming. I heard it though, and the engine was loud. It was definitely souped-up. Maybe dual exhaust.”
I snapped my fingers instantly then. “It had bigger tires. Like one of those old cars you used to see cruising the ghettos in movies.”
Gabe scratched on his pad. “Okay, that’s helpful. It sounds to me like the same car. We have a general description out, but so far, no hits. You noticed more than we could see in the video, so that will help. We’ll keep trying.”
“That’s it?” Ivy asked, her voice shrill. “You’ll keep trying? What are they supposed to do in the meantime?”
Gabe spun toward her. “There isn’t much else I can do, Ivy. We’re actively looking for the car, but until we can find it and question the driver, we can’t do much more. I’m going to canvas for video now. Normally, I’d wait until morning, but if I can catch these yahoos tonight, that’d be ideal.” He turned to address us again. “In the meantime, don’t walk on the sidewalks alone. Driving is safer. Don’t leave yourself open to an attack and you should be fine until we find them. Throwing bottles without direct confrontation appears to be their thing. If you don’t make yourself a target, they can’t attack.”
Ellis and I both nodded and Gabe left the way he came. Ivy stood hands on hips and frowned. “This is terrible. Whoever is doing this has to be from somewhere else, because no one here is going to have a problem with the two of you being in a relationship.”
I gasped and grabbed Ellis’s arm. “My mom and Stan! We have to warn them. They take Pudgy for a walk every night.”
“Pudgy?” Ellis asked confused.
“Stan’s pug. He’s pudgy,” I said, laughing, even though I was scared for my mom. “They’re probably walking him right now.”
I grabbed my phone and called her, asking her where she was and what she was doing. She assured me she was watching a show and Pudgy was all done going out for the night. I begged her to stay put until we got there to explain and she promised she would. I stood up and shifted uncomfortably. “I just remembered we don’t have a car. We should have asked Gabe for a ride home.”
Shep tossed Ellis a set of keys. “Take the SUV. I’ll grab it from you tomorrow at the studio. We have another vehicle here if we need it.”
Ellis nodded and shook his hand while I hugged Ivy. “Thank you. I’m sorry to dump this on you. We just knew if we could get to the diner, we’d find safety.”
Ivy rubbed my back and smiled, tucking my hair out of my face. “You aren’t the first to say that and I hope you aren’t the last. I love that people think of my diner as a safe place when they’re in trouble. I’ll take that all day long, and with that goes the agreement to always be there to help, so don’t apologize.”
I grinned when she released me. “Because you’re a Nightingale and a Nightingale will always help those in need.”
She winked and led me toward the front door. “Always, so don’t hesitate if anything else comes up. Are you going to be able to do our hair on Friday with your hand like that?”
I lifted it and twisted it around. “Nope,” I said, sadly shaking my head. “I’ve already sent a pitifulhelp metext to Heather who has agreed to step in and do the job. I’ll be there to supervise, but hey, maybe I can get my hair done too and be one of the girls,” I joked, fluffing my hair.
“You are one of the girls,” she promised, hugging me one last time. “We’ll see you Friday unless something comes up before then.”
Ellis and I waved then we climbed into the SUV and he started it up. He reached his hand out to squeeze mine. “It’s going to be okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
I rolled my head toward him and smiled. “I know, but Ellis, I’m more worried about you.”
“Why? Because a bunch of jackasses yelled some inappropriate words our way?”
I shook my head and sat up. “They also tried to burn down your business because you’re dating a black woman.”
“I’m dating a woman, who happens to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Besides, they tried to burn down my business before we started dating. I don’t care what a bunch of brainless fools think, Addie. Don’t let them get in here,” he said, tapping my temple. “They can have my studio as long as I have you.”
“But, Ellis,” I said again, and his finger came down over my lips.
“But nothing, Addie. You can’t fight hate with fear, sweetheart. You can only fight hate with love. That sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. Let them come at us. Eventually, we’ll figure out who they are and then a little bit more hate is off the street.”
His finger strayed to the cuts on my face and he frowned. “Correction. Let them come at me.”
“They don’t hurt,” I promised, grasping his wrist. “It would have been another trip to the ER if you hadn’t pulled me down at the last second. You protected me because boyfriends protect girlfriends, right?”
A sneaky grin crossed his face and he winked as he let off the brake. The SUV rolled forward to take us back into that scary world we could survive for only one reason.
