our napkins on our laps as he picked up my bowl of gumbo. It was filled to the very top with peppered broth, crawfish and okra. Right as Keith came closer with the teetering bowl a shot rang out, ricocheting on the metal frame of the patio. The bowl of gumbo came down on top of me and my dress as I heard Adam shout, “Get down!”
I hit the floor of the patio, trying to see where the shots were coming from. Okra flew everywhere. I saw a flash from trees and bushes situated next to the patio. The shooter was only twenty or so feet away, but as much as I tried to see I couldn’t make out a person, only another flash of powder as the next shot rang out. I reached over to Keith, who was now lying on the ground next to me curled up in a ball.
Another shot hit a clay sun-shaped wall hanging that cracked and fell. The shards of clay shattered into pieces around us. Adam Cole was sprawled out on the other side of the table. There was blood dribbling over toward me. Adam had been hit. His face was turning a ghastly color of white. I reached over for my purse hanging from the chair and started dialing 911.
“Someone’s been shot,” I gasped.
I heard Keith moan beside me. I reached over and touched his arm. “Are you hurt too?”
“No,” his adolescent voice squealed as it reached for its bass tone. “I’m beginning to think waiting tables isn’t my calling, after all.”
*****
The ambulance arrived about ten minutes after I called. When the shots had stopped, we slowly crawled back toward the inside of the restaurant. I followed the patch of blood on Adam and could see he had been hit in the arm. We pressed on the wound to stop the bleeding until help could arrive.
“New in town, and I’m already being shot at. Maybe that old cop has friends,” Adam said. I felt guilt shoot through me. “He has more than that. You’re out with his daughter.”
“What?” he said, his voice still shaky.
“I’m Judd Kelsey’s daughter.”
A silence passed between us. “So you are here because of your father, not because you wanted to go out with me?”
I bit my lip. “I know, it’s a bad thing to do, but I can tell you my father is an honest cop and he would never, ever plant evidence. You just have to believe me.”
“And what were you prepared to do to make sure I did?”
I blushed. “Not what you’re thinking.”
If he wasn’t sitting here bleeding all over me, I would have left him cold.
“Too bad,” he said, using his good hand to straighten his shirt collar. “It’s official. This is the worst date I have ever been on.”
“It’s on the top of my list, as well.”
“So I just hope that wasn’t your dad shooting at us.”
“My dad’s a better shot than that.”
“Comforting.”
“The shot was coming from over in the woods there,” I said, motioning out the window.
“Did you see what the shooter looked like?” Adam was interrupted by the paramedics scrambling toward him. They started taking off his jacket and examining the gunshot wound.
“No, just the flash from the gun. There was lots of powder from it.”
Keith, who had been clearing tables, stopped with a clatter. “My grandpa would say it’s the ghost of Charlie Loper. That has to be it. Someone here must have hurt his daughter. He’s a ghost out for revenge, you know.”
“Who?” Adam asked.
“Oh,” I sighed. “The shooting at the Loper mansion. His grandpa said he heard the gunshot and when he looked out the window he saw rhinestones flashing in the streetlight.”
“I see,” Adam said and then jumped as the paramedic started trying to get a look at his wound.
The paramedic stopped what he was doing and raised a finger. “It’s a good thing you put pressure on the wound. You saved your friend from losing too much blood. If I could just get you to hold on to it for a minute more.” He turned to pull something out of his medical kit and then turned back. As he was about to apply a bandage he stopped and
I hit the floor of the patio, trying to see where the shots were coming from. Okra flew everywhere. I saw a flash from trees and bushes situated next to the patio. The shooter was only twenty or so feet away, but as much as I tried to see I couldn’t make out a person, only another flash of powder as the next shot rang out. I reached over to Keith, who was now lying on the ground next to me curled up in a ball.
Another shot hit a clay sun-shaped wall hanging that cracked and fell. The shards of clay shattered into pieces around us. Adam Cole was sprawled out on the other side of the table. There was blood dribbling over toward me. Adam had been hit. His face was turning a ghastly color of white. I reached over for my purse hanging from the chair and started dialing 911.
“Someone’s been shot,” I gasped.
I heard Keith moan beside me. I reached over and touched his arm. “Are you hurt too?”
“No,” his adolescent voice squealed as it reached for its bass tone. “I’m beginning to think waiting tables isn’t my calling, after all.”
*****
The ambulance arrived about ten minutes after I called. When the shots had stopped, we slowly crawled back toward the inside of the restaurant. I followed the patch of blood on Adam and could see he had been hit in the arm. We pressed on the wound to stop the bleeding until help could arrive.
“New in town, and I’m already being shot at. Maybe that old cop has friends,” Adam said. I felt guilt shoot through me. “He has more than that. You’re out with his daughter.”
“What?” he said, his voice still shaky.
“I’m Judd Kelsey’s daughter.”
A silence passed between us. “So you are here because of your father, not because you wanted to go out with me?”
I bit my lip. “I know, it’s a bad thing to do, but I can tell you my father is an honest cop and he would never, ever plant evidence. You just have to believe me.”
“And what were you prepared to do to make sure I did?”
I blushed. “Not what you’re thinking.”
If he wasn’t sitting here bleeding all over me, I would have left him cold.
“Too bad,” he said, using his good hand to straighten his shirt collar. “It’s official. This is the worst date I have ever been on.”
“It’s on the top of my list, as well.”
“So I just hope that wasn’t your dad shooting at us.”
“My dad’s a better shot than that.”
“Comforting.”
“The shot was coming from over in the woods there,” I said, motioning out the window.
“Did you see what the shooter looked like?” Adam was interrupted by the paramedics scrambling toward him. They started taking off his jacket and examining the gunshot wound.
“No, just the flash from the gun. There was lots of powder from it.”
Keith, who had been clearing tables, stopped with a clatter. “My grandpa would say it’s the ghost of Charlie Loper. That has to be it. Someone here must have hurt his daughter. He’s a ghost out for revenge, you know.”
“Who?” Adam asked.
“Oh,” I sighed. “The shooting at the Loper mansion. His grandpa said he heard the gunshot and when he looked out the window he saw rhinestones flashing in the streetlight.”
“I see,” Adam said and then jumped as the paramedic started trying to get a look at his wound.
The paramedic stopped what he was doing and raised a finger. “It’s a good thing you put pressure on the wound. You saved your friend from losing too much blood. If I could just get you to hold on to it for a minute more.” He turned to pull something out of his medical kit and then turned back. As he was about to apply a bandage he stopped and
Similar Books
