Hard Case V: Blood and Fear (A John Harding Novel Book 5) by Bernard Lee DeLeo

earn their money when we have layovers like tonight. It’s the price of being able to go home, confident we won’t have murderers getting free, and causing an untold amount of damage.”
    “That was the bitch about our central command,” Casey went on. “It was a great place for interrogations, holding cells, high tech command, and even as a safe house. It sucked taking care of it. Those guys are worth their weight in gold. Not to mention, they make Crue happy. She loves having minions she’s tortured into the light. Crue treats Danessa like her own daughter. Clint’s happy because Danessa loves Tonto, and cleans their house. They bought her a damn car, and are paying her way through college. You don’t suppose Crue feels guilty about the way she turned Danessa around, do you?”
    Casey got the laughs he was shooting for with all of us trying to imagine Lynn feeling guilty about anything. “She does have a soft spot though. Getting at it sometimes is a mystery.”
    “Clint seems to find it regularly,” I replied. “We better hope Lynn has the baby before Denny schedules any pirate operations.”
    “Sure, but you know what she’ll do then,” Lucas added.
    “You guys will have to go to war with a baby on board unless you find her something to focus on other than motherhood,” Jess said. “I don’t like your chances. Maybe John can invent some secret mission to keep Crue and Clint at home with the baby.”
    “Hey, that’s not bad, Jess.” I didn’t believe in wishing for bad things to happen, but having something for Clint and Lynn to do where they could have the new baby with them would be for the best. Having Lynn on board The Sea Wolf, either with the baby, or worrying because someone else was looking after the baby, could end in the rest of us losing our minds or our lives. “I will keep that suggestion in mind.”
    “John,” Dev called out. “You have company in front of your house again.”
    I moved forward as Dev slowed. I could make out who it was with streetlamp light. “That’s my neighbor, Della Sparks, Lora, and the new neighbor from across the street. He doesn’t look happy.”
    “Want us to stop for a while, John?”
    “No. If Lora came out of the house, I don’t think this will take an intervention, Lucas. I’ll see you all tomorrow. It’s going to be a busy day.”
    Outside as our ready van drove away, I waved to my wife. “Is this a neighborhood watch meeting?”
    Della and Lora were amused. Not so much my new neighbor, Doug Ferguson. He’s one of those neighbors who never minds his own business. If a lawn isn’t mowed, the weeding around the house has been neglected, or a car is parked too far from the curb, Doug feels it’s his duty to leave a full critique letting the guilty party know about their transgressions. I’d already been served my summons to yard duty twice, and Doug had only been in the neighborhood for two months. Although I do it, I’m not much of a gardener, and I don’t obsess over my lawn much.
    Doug was over six feet of pent up rage, but he’s no dummy. He didn’t race out of his house to confront the Nigerian Posse when they were here, but you can bet he seethed at the window sill with his hands clenched so tightly he drew blood. In his middle forties with two teenage daughters in high school, he had his hands full, and it showed. Doug’s ruddy complexion, coupled with a construction worker’s body build, made the guy an imposing figure. I liked him. He cared about where he lived. He always waved, even though he didn’t care much for my yard upkeep attitude. His wife Pam was his alter ego. She calmed him down. A thin brunette with soft voice, and always calm exterior, Pam could quiet Doug with only a touch, as if her hand on his arm signaled he had plunged off the cliff of insanity. She joined him now in the chilling March early evening temperature.
    “Hi, John,” Doug shook hands with me. “I noticed you had some trouble. I didn’t care much