In a cheese shop? Never. Not to mention that the faire was awash with other aromas. Cotton candy, cocoa, cookies, and pine trees. I did not want to add to the sensual overload.
“Incense is
My hands formed into fists.
As fast as a ninja, Tyanne pinned my arms to my sides. “Don’t let her rile y’all.”
Sylvie exited with the girls, and though she didn’t laugh out loud, I could tell she was pleased with her gotcha moment. Her padded shoulders were jiggling.
Matthew huffed. “Another nice night, ruined.”
“It’s not ruined, sugar,” Tyanne assured him. “You go get those girls back.”
“She’s right,” I said. “Go.”
Meredith rubbed Matthew’s neck. “Remember what you told me, honey? No more kowtowing to Sylvie. We set our plan, and we keep it. If the girls happen to hear a debate—”
“A fight,” Matthew corrected.
“Fine. A fight. Then so be it. We had plans. We stick to them.”
“Be strong,” Tyanne said. “Sylvie doesn’t set the rules.”
Meredith gave Matthew a shove. “Let’s go, mister. Be a Daddy hero.”
Matthew stood taller, which made me proud. He had suffered enough. It was time to grow back the spine that Sylvie had ripped out of him.
As they headed for the door, Meredith said over her shoulder, “After going to the Igloo, we’ll go home and see to the puppy. We fed him before we came to the faire. You’re getting Rags at The Cheese Shop, right?”
“When I wind up my business here,” I said. Taking care of two animals was infinitely more challenging than one.
They departed, and I said to Tyanne, “You certainly showed your mettle with Sylvie.”
“Blame it on therapy. I had my second session today. The doctor said:
“It’s working.”
She offered a smile that quickly dissolved. “It’s all a cover. I’m a mess, sugar, no two ways about it. I am not adjusting well to being without Theo. And my kids are suffering something awful. Thomas is acting up. He flails at things. It’s like he can’t control himself.”
“Which is why you have to set rules.”
“I had to give him three time-outs yesterday. Three.” She fanned herself. “I don’t want him smacking his sister, you know? So far, he’s only hurt a lamp, but …” Her shoulders heaved. “Boys are so darned impulsive.”
I patted her back. “Take a break. In fact, take off the rest of the night. We’re done here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Find your kids and take them for ice cream. I hear the double-deluxe strawberry mascarpone is great.”
She bussed me on the cheek, fetched her purse, and sped out the door like a Thoroughbred.
As I closed up, I found myself humming
First, I checked the plug on the refrigerator. Next, I made sure the zippers on the tent windows were secure and the knife case locked. Lastly, I dropped to my knees to switch off the temporary fluorescent light strips that were plugged in behind the antique buffet counter.
As I started to stand, I heard a creak followed by a rasp. I peeked over the edge of the counter. In the dim light cast by the strands of twinkling lights outside the tent, I made out the shadow of a person. Inside the tent. The intruder was dressed in a black peacoat and trousers and wearing a face mask. He—I assumed it was a he; he looked too broad-shouldered to be a she—scooped something from one of the coolers and dropped it into a knapsack. I swallowed hard. He was robbing the shop? Would he hurt me?
Fearful of drawing attention to myself—loss of cheese was better than loss of life—I ducked lower, but my knee hit one of the boxes beneath the counter. I peeked to see if the intruder had heard me. He had. He ran at the counter. I was trapped, with nowhere to escape. My only option was to scream.
“Security!” My plea sounded muted, like the kind of non-shriek I had when waking out of a nightmare. Great. Right when I needed a cheerleader-sized voice, I had turned into a pipsqueak. “Security,” I tried again, this time louder with more conviction.
The intruder cut around the buffet and dove at me. The attack was so forceful that I pitched forward. I hit the fake green grass floor with both palms, but from the narrow position behind the counter, I couldn’t scramble to my feet. My one route of escape was through the legs of the table. I crawled as fast as I could, bumping my head and then my tailbone.
The attacker didn’t pursue me. Didn’t grasp my ankles. I heard footsteps slapping the fake grass floor, followed by the clackety-clack of the door. Had he fled?
I scooted from beneath the table and saw the tent was empty. I raced to the window. I didn’t see any sign of the thief. He was fast, I had to give him that.
The door squealed open again.
Heart hammering, I turned, hands raised to defend myself.
Jordan drew to a halt, arms held high. A halo of light outlined his rugged frame. “It’s just me. Are you okay? I heard you scream.”
He had heard my pitiful appeal? Let’s hear it for superhuman hearing.
“I’m fine. A thief—”
“Where?”
“He ran that way.” I pointed at the door.
Jordan sprinted out.
By the time I was able to switch on the lights inside the tent, Jordan returned, frowning. “I didn’t see anyone running.”
I sighed. “He probably decided it was safer to blend into the crowd.”
“Who was it?” He gripped my arms. “Did you get a good look?”
“He was wearing a ski mask.” I thought of Arlo, an admitted thief. Before leaving his house, he could have tucked a ski mask in the pocket of his black peacoat. Had he escaped police custody? Had Urso let him go? Granted, the intruder had looked bigger and broader than Arlo, but I had learned in the too-recent past that fear could warp all sense of dimension. I also pictured Oscar Carson, who I had pinned to the ground the other night. He was about the right size. I told Jordan.
He offered a wry grin. “It wasn’t Oscar. I saw him outside watching Mr. Nakamura put the finishing touches on his ice sculpture. Do you think it could have been random? There are a lot of tourists roaming about. What did he take?”
“Cheese. He rooted through the cooler.”
The top of the cooler hung open. I peered inside. The cartons of cheese were jumbled. I couldn’t tell what was missing.
“Maybe he wanted to increase his calcium intake.”
“Very funny.”
Jordan tucked a hair behind my ear, then traced his finger along my jaw. “Just making sure he didn’t take off with your sense of humor, sweetheart.” He wrapped his arms around me.
“Why would anyone risk robbing one of the tents?” I asked. “There are guards roaming the area, around the clock.”
“He saw an opportunity and took it.”
“I should tell Urso.”
“I wouldn’t bother him. He’s got a lot on his plate. Inform security.”
