Page 19 of Calling His Bluff
Nels made his way back to the table without looking at her again. She quickly assessed the situation. She could be wrong, but then again, she never forgot a face. She didn’t think she’d ever seen this man before. But the resemblance to a man who’d once made her life a living nightmare couldn’t be denied.
She thought of the newspaper article about her Aunt Clara winning Seaside Vows and leaving it to her niece. Jack said the story had gone viral. Anyone could have seen it.
Not one to panic, she looked around the table as everyone returned to their seats. Like Pete and Ridge, Nels had lost most of his money. What would happen when he lost it all?
She wasn’t going to let that happen if she could prevent it. She shifted her gaze to Jack and smiled a silent message.I see the gun. I’ll take care of it.
No surprise, Jack’s return look was a mixture ofWhat the hell, Josephine? andI hope you know what you’re doing. What he didn’t have to say was that he was even more worried—for her.
For the first time, Josephine thought he might have good reason to worry.
* * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER 10
It was the eyes, Josephine realized as the game progressed. Of course they would give the man away since they were so much like his father’s. The last name, Green, had thrown herthough. But there could be a good reason the son of Ernie Lockwood might change his last name.
Twenty years ago, back when her parents were only headed for divorce, Ernie Lockwood had been her middle school janitor. Back then, Ernie had long dark hair that he pulled back in a low ponytail, and he’d been as round as he was tall.
But it was his dark eyes—eyes exactly like Nels Green’s that she could never forget. She was the one who’d spotted them looking at her through the two small holes he’d bored in the wall of the girls’ middle school bathroom. It had been her testimony that had sent Ernie to prison.
At his trial, she’d seen his wife and son of about ten in the courtroom as Ernie was given twenty years in prison. Josephine’s testimony had been only the beginning. When the police searched the janitor’s computer they found child pornography and much worse—photos he’d secretly taken of students—Josephine included.
After he was sentenced, Josephine heard that his wife had divorced him and taken the boy to live with her family in Nebraska. She hadn’t really noticed the boy who’d been a small version of his father. Except for his eyes. She remembered him looking right at her as his mother led him away. What she’d seen in those dark depths had looked so much like his father’s gaze that it had shaken her.
And now here he was, a grown man, at her poker game with those same soulless eyes—and a gun.
Jack began to shuffle the cards and dealt slowly as if waiting for a sign from her as to what they were going to do. Josephine watched Nels out of the corner of her eye. He looked more uncomfortable than he had even earlier. She saw him glance at his watch before he picked up his cards.
The game went more quickly than she’d hoped since she still hadn’t decided what to do. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out as Wayne took the pot again.
“I’m going to call it a night,” Pete said, picking up what little money he had left. Ridge agreed and pocketed the last of his cash. “This has been fun. Might have to do it again.”
“Your coats are at the back door,” Josephine said. “Let me show you out.” She rose before anyone could argue and followed the two men to the back door, locking and bolting it as she turned back to the poker room.
Hank had handed the deck to Darwin, who seemed to be taking forever to shuffle the cards. Her gaze went to Jack. She could see that he was ready for whatever Nels had planned as she took her seat again. She knew he was waiting for a signal from her to attempt to disarm Nels.
She had expected Nels to make his move when she walked the other men to the door. Instead, he sat staring at the table and what little money he had left. Josephine realized this would be his last game—one way or another. She looked at the Armstrongs. They seemed determined to stay until the bitter end.
Was there a chance they were involved in whatever was going on, and if Jack tried to disarm Nels, they would jump in?
It wasn’t a chance she could take.
Better to wait, she thought as she saw Nels glance at his watch again. If she was right and he was waiting for Ernie, then nothing would happen until the poker party broke up.
Since recognizing him, she’d tried to talk herself down. Why would Nels wait twenty years to settle this old score for his father? Because he’d forgotten all about her until he’d seen that stupid article about her inheriting Seaside Vows? Maybe just hadn’t known where she was until then.
No,she thought with a start.
He’d been waiting for his father to get out of prison.
-#-
Jack had promised that he would follow Josephine’s lead tonight—no matter what happened. Right now, he regretted the hell out of that promise. The man next to him had a gun. Worse, he suspected Josephine had recognized the man and whoever it was, he was trouble.
So why hadn’t she signaled for him to disarm Nels? At first, he’d thought it was to let some of the poker players leave to keep down the body count if the shit hit the fan. Now with Ridge and Pete gone, what was she waiting for?
He couldn’t sit still any longer. “I need a drink.” He rose and went to the bar. As he’d hoped, Josephine joined him. Wayne was loudly recounting some big fish story.
