A Biloxi Christmas: A Novella (The Biloxi Series)

  A Biloxi Christmas

  Jerri L Ledford

  Deep South Press

  Copyright 2015 Jerri L Ledford

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locals is entirely coincidently.

  A Biloxi Christmas

  Published by Deep South Press

  Copyright © 2015 Jerri Lynn Ledford

  Cover Design: Suzanne Wesley

  Photos: © jonnysek, tverdohlib / Dollar Photo Club and © istock.com / STILLFX.

  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

  Learn more about The Biloxi Series at

  www.TheBiloxiSeries.com

  PROLOGUE

  Frankie Deveaux watched Dale Abernathy for a full twenty minutes. He sat on the deck of his boat smoking. Frankie couldn’t tell what from this distance, but he was sure it wasn’t a cigarette. Abernathy’s friends called him Abbie, which irritated Frankie. Why would any man allow himself to be referred to as if he were a woman?

  The lanky man tucked the remnants of whatever he’d been smoking into his pocket and stepped back onto the dock and ambled toward the parking lot. He stopped at the end of the dock and looked around, scanning the decks of boats and searching the shadows of the parking lot.

  He stood for a long minute, watching for any signs of movement. Frankie barely breathed. He knew the man couldn't see him, sunk deep into the shadows in the front seat of his pickup truck, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He’d chosen this specific location because the shadows made it difficult for anyone to see him but he was able to clearly see what Abernathy was doing.

  Tonight was Christmas on the Water. Local boat owners dressed their boats with Christmas lights and decorations then headed out to join the parade on the water, crossing the Mississippi Sound into the Biloxi Channel. Most of the boats were either still out, or the people who owned them had joined other boat owners instead of decorating their own. Frankie was right to assume that tonight would be the night that Abernathy would make his move. It was simple. Fewer people meant less of a chance of being discovered. There was also enough traffic on the water tonight to ensure that he was less likely to be noticed.

  As Frankie watched, Abernathy walked purposefully to a dark van and unlocked the back doors. He reached inside and yanked. Slowly, a skinny girl climbed out. Then another. And a third. None of them looked as if they could be more than 16 years old, and all of them had stringy hair and wore dirty clothes. Bile rose in Frankie's throat. He’d suspected this was why Abernathy was assigned to him. The group suspected he had Julianna, but there wasn’t any actual proof.

  Even if law enforcement had set up surveillance to catch what Frankie was seeing now, there was no guarantee the man would ever be convicted. It was why the group had decided to take the law into their own hands. The system was broken and the only way criminals like Dale Abernathy would ever get what they deserved was if people like Frankie and the others took matters into their own hands. That's why he was here. Seeing this was all the proof he needed.

  Frankie watched until Abernathy reached his boat, girls in tow. A couple of them looked as if they could barely walk. When they caught up to him at the side of the boat, he pushed the first one onto the deck. She stumbled but stayed upright. Abernathy stepped onto the boat and yanked hard at the chain binding the other girls. One scrambled onto the boat, nearly missing the deck. She pitched forward and landed hard. The last girl fell on top of her. Abernathy jerked the last girl up by the hair. Julianna.

  The group suspected Abernathy had taken Julianna, but now Frankie knew for a fact. Fury burned in his throat.

  He eased open his door in time to hear the girl let out a short scream. A sharp slap echoed through the night, cutting the scream short. I’m going to enjoy killing this one. The girl was a friend’s daughter. She was the reason Frankie was here, and she was practically family. Family always comes first.

  Frankie pulled on a pair of latex gloves and gently pushed the door closed. He paused. He'd turned off the overhead light in the cab of the truck, but he didn't know if Abernathy would hear the sound of the door snicking shut if he pushed it all the way together. He opted to leave it open slightly. No one was around to mess with the truck, and he didn't plan to be gone long anyway.

  He waited in the shadows until Abernathy pushed the girls down into a cabin below the deck and then slinked across the edge of the parking lot to the pier. This was where it got tricky. Once he was on the pier, anyone could see him, including Abernathy if he came back out onto the deck. Frankie was betting the man wouldn't come up from below deck anytime soon. Frankie took the first step onto the pier as if he belonged there. He could have had a boat in any one of the slips. His rubber soled shoes were quiet on the grayed decking.

  He glanced around. No one seemed to be around, but if they were, and if they saw him, he wanted to look like he had reason to be here – a different reason than murdering some slime ball, drug-addicted, predator.

  He stood straight, leveraging every inch of his six foot three frame and walked down the pier. He tried to be quiet, but he walked with purpose. Just before he got to the captain's shrimp boat, he stopped, looked around again, and then stepped lightly on the boat. No sense in announcing his presence if he didn't have to.

  Standing in the stern of the boat, Frankie listened to the movement below. Whimpering. The thuds of people moving about, but no more screams. The girls must have been terrified. Considering his options, Frankie stood motionless.

  Decision made, he stomped his foot on the deck, as he pulled a 9mm Glock from his waistband. The gun, lengthened by the silencer on the barrel, felt good in his hand. His fingers itched to pull the trigger. “Anyone here?” he called out, as he glanced around. The docks were still deserted.

  The boat parade probably hadn’t ended yet, but he wasn’t certain how long he had. Some boats would only go out to watch the parade, not participate. Those people may come in early and he wanted to be gone before they returned.

  He heard thumping and harsh whispers coming from below. Abernathy appeared at the base of the stairs leading down to the cabin door.

  “What are you doing on my boat?” Abernathy's voice was thick with suspicion.

  “You.” Frankie pointed the gun and pulled the trigger two quick times. Pop. Pop. The silencer suppressed the sound of the shots, but it was still loud enough to be noticeable if someone was nearby.

  Surprise crossed Abernathy’s face, then turned to horror, as he gurgled what he probably thought was a cry for help, but his throat had filled with blood. He crumpled onto the stairs, reaching forward as if to catch himself. His bloody hands hit the deck and slid forward as his body landed in a heap.

  He was dead before his head bounced off the deck.

  Frankie stood over him, watching dispassionately. He felt only a sense of accomplishment. One more criminal
off the streets. This one was particularly deserving.

  He waited several seconds, watching Abernathy’s back for any signs of life. Satisfied that the captain was dead, Frankie tucked the gun back into his waistband and pulled his shirt over it. From his front pants pocket, he took a medium-sized plastic bag filled with smaller packets of crystal meth and shoved it into one of the captain's outstretched hands.

  He paused and debated getting the girls out of the hold. Julianna was in there, but no, he wouldn’t do that. If he did, they could identify him. Not that he really thought they would.

  They were young enough to be controllable. Frankie could make sure they didn’t tell anyone about him, but there was no sense taking that risk. Someone would come along and find Abernathy soon enough. Then they would find the girls. They were fine for a little while longer. At least now they were out of danger.

  Frankie glanced around. Still no one to see him. He walked quickly back to his truck. He'd done Biloxi a favor. One less low-life scum to take away from their little coastal town. One more bit of justice orchestrated by his group. Tonight’s sentencing had set the wheels in motion. Before long, another bit of justice would be served on another criminal who would wish he’d never come to Biloxi, Mississippi.

  The best part was that he would get to watch it all from a distance. He would see their plan play out, and then he could board a plane back to North Dakota. He planned to have a very merry, white Christmas and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that he was the instrument of justice that ensured two more criminals got what they deserved.

  ONE

  Kate jumped from the bow of the boat onto the dock and secured the line with a quick cleat hitch. A few months ago, she hadn't even known that a cleat hitch was the knot used to tie a boat to the metal horns on a dock, but Jack had changed that.

  Jack had changed a lot of things; like her perception of who he was. When they were just partners, she hadn't know about his love of the water. She hadn't known that he owned a small shrimp boat, or that it was part of his heritage.

  She knew now, and with each new thing she learned about him, she found herself more and more in love with him.

  Everything changed after they tracked down the serial killer, Dana McNally, a few months ago. The circumstances of that case brought Jack and Kate together and ever since, they’d spent almost all of their free time together.

  Kate enjoyed spending time with Jack. He was easy to be around. They often worked together on the house he’d bought after his sister’s death. “Lisa needs a real home,” he said, but the house he chose needed a lot of work.

  Kate suspected he chose the house partially for the challenge of it. It also gave him something to focus on, and Kate thought that was also a contributing factor in the purchase. She’d grown to understand Jack more as they worked together putting down floors, installing cabinets, and texturing ceilings.

  Kate couldn’t help but be hopelessly in love with Jack. He was handsome, had a soft side that turned her to jelly, and a strong protective instinct. She wondered, though, if he loved her. His actions showed love. He sent flowers, looking out for her well-being, and knew when to give her space so she could deal with her own demons. But he hadn’t told her he loved her, and Kate longed to hear those words.

  Soon, they would have their first Christmas together. Kate couldn’t remember ever looking forward to the holiday so much. They had even started decorating Jack’s house earlier today. Tonight, they would finish it up and maybe snuggle in the glow of the Christmas tree for a while.

  “So, what did you think?” Jack asked as he climbed from the boat and secured the stern of the boat.

  “About the parade?” Kate laughed. “That was a lot of fun, Jack. I've seen the parade from land before, but I've never been in it. I never knew you were one of the boats I was watching.”

  Jack grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. “I love seeing you smile.” He gently pressed his lips against hers, and Kate felt a deep surge of warmth travel down her body. He pulled back just as the warmth was making the transition to need. She felt a chill when she lost contact with him.

  Kate smiled again. “Seems I have a lot to smile about these days.” Had it really been such a short time that they'd been together? It seemed like forever, but it had only been a little more than two months. She knew she was in love, and she wanted to tell Jack, but sometimes she wasn’t sure if that was what he wanted. They would have moments like this then he would pull back.

  Thanksgiving with him and his niece, Lisa, had been more than she ever hoped for. Lisa had come to live with Jack when her mother was killed by a serial killer a few months ago. She had adjusted well, and the three of them cooked Thanksgiving dinner together and shared a great meal. Then she and Jack had gone for a walk on the beach. Even thinking about it now, she felt a little weak in the knees.

  Jack had stopped on the beach and turned her to face him. The moon was bright, though not full. Still it gave off enough light that Kate could see Jack’s face clearly. He looked at her as if she was the only woman he dreamed of.

  Kate thought he would say it then. The moment had been so perfect. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then kissed her instead. The kiss was hungry, possessive, but when he pulled away, he took her hand and started walking again.

  Kate had played that moment over and over again like a movie on loop. She still couldn’t figure out exactly what happened that night. Jack had grown a little more distant for a day or two after, but now he was Jack again.

  Was that really over a week ago? It seemed like just yesterday.

  Jack grinned back at her. “I think we’re both smiling a lot lately.” He brushed another kiss across her lips and then pulled away and looked at her for a long moment.

  Say it. Please? If Kate’s will were enough, he would have confessed his love for her in that moment. Instead, he asked, “Ready for some dinner?”

  They had already planned to go to Mary Mahoney’s after the parade. They’d even left a little early so they could get a table before the crowd showed up. Even though she was disappointed in the moment, Kate’s stomach growled and reminded her that she was happy they’d already made dinner plans.

  “Absolutely,” she hid the disappointment she felt. “I'm famished. Who knew that being out on a boat could make a girl so hungry?”

  Jack laughed. Kate loved the sound of that laugh and it helped to ease her raw emotions. Still, she hoped Jack would say what she wanted to hear soon.

  They walked hand in hand. Just as they reached the end of the pier, shouts rose from the next pier over. Kate glanced at Jack. “Someone had too much to drink,” she said as she pushed her blonde hair behind her ear.

  More shouts echoed through the night, and they didn’t sound like they came from happy revelers. Those shouts sounded intense. Urgent.

  “That doesn't sound good.” Jack pulled his hand from hers and turned toward the next pier. “We should go see what's going on.”

  Kate sighed. She just wanted to go spend a quiet evening with Jack over some good food. Maybe even have a glass of wine or two. If I ply him with wine, maybe he’ll admit he loves me. She followed him, staying one step behind as he led the way and silently hoping this wouldn’t take long.

  They hurried toward the shouting. As they got closer, Kate saw knot of people gathered around something. She could hear snippets of conversation.

  “He deserved it.”

  “Those poor girls.”

  “Someone call 911.”

  Jack must have heard the same things. He pulled his badge from his pocket and flashed it at the group of people. “Biloxi PD. What's going on?”

  The special investigations unit they had been involved in last year when they took down the serial killer Dana McNally had been folded into the Biloxi Police Department as part of a structural reorganization. Jack hadn’t been thrilled, but as far as Kate could tell, the only real difference was their titles. They worked with the same people
, and did the same job. They were just homicide detectives now instead of special investigators.

  Kate stood behind Jack and took in the scene.

  The crowd gathered near the stern of an old, double-winged shrimp boat. The gray and blue paint that had once been pristine was now peeled away in spots, showing deep red wounds of rust. The ropes that made up the nets looked old and dry rotted. Kate wondered if they would even hold a haul of shrimp.

  As Kate drew closer, she could see it was not a something the crowd had gathered around. It was a person – three people, actually. Three teenaged girls huddled together at the center of the circle. They were dirty and crying and clinging to each other as if they were afraid to let go.

  Kate glanced past the crowd. A man lay across the deck of the boat, his lower half missing, and a scrawny man dressed in stained jeans and a shirt that looked far too big stood over him. Kate pushed back the urge to look away. Slow down. Pay attention. The details she catalogued now could be invaluable later.

  She focused on the body.

  No. The lower part of the body wasn't missing. Everything from the waist down was sprawled down a short set of stairs that led to the cabin in the bowels of the boat.

  The scrawny man was trying to climb over the body without touching it. Kate doubted he was trying to preserve evidence. It was more likely he just didn’t want to touch the dead man.

  “Stop.” Jack said, the 9 mm Glock he carried when he was off-duty in hand and his cop persona changing his voice to a deep, threatening rumble.

  The man standing in front of the door froze and raised his hands. “I didn't do nothing. I was just trying to help Abbie. He's dead.” The man's voice cracked on the last word. His eyes were wide, and there was blood on his hands and clothes and streaked across his forehead.