Catherine woke up Saturday morning back in her bed in her New York City loft. Instead of getting out of bed right away as she usually did, she lay awake thinking about the decision she had made to spend the next few months at The Osprey Cove Lodge. She thought back to her conversation the night before with her brother. She was glad he had accepted her decision and had not tried to talk her out of it. Michael had a lot of qualities like her parents. There was a part of them that lived on in him, and she supposed in her too. Her parents would have probably responded the same way. While not necessarily agreeing with her choice, they would have recognized her dignity and right to make her own decision. As she lay there in her New York City bedroom with the morning sun streaming across the bed, she decided she was not going to second guess her decision either. As Michael had pointed out, she was not burning any bridges with this decision. Her job would be there waiting for her if she chose to return to it and his invitation to move into the estate was still an option as well. But Catherine wanted to see where this 'third choice,' as Alex has referred to it, would lead.
Catherine made a mental list as she lay there of what she wanted to do this weekend. She would start with deciding what personal belongings she would take to the lodge. She determined there was not a lot of point in taking many of her clothes because they would soon no longer fit. It would be best, she thought, to buy maternity clothes after she got there. It was awkward for her even to think about growing with her pregnancy while she was trying to get to know Alex. But if it would work with anyone, it would be with Alex. She just hoped he continued to feel the same way about her pregnancy. It was easy to say it didn't matter when she hardly looked pregnant. What would he think as the months progressed? Would he be embarrassed to be seen with her? Keeping these thoughts from surfacing was difficult. But Catherine kept these negative thoughts in check. She was determined to keep a positive attitude about the decision she had made and its outcome.
She finally forced herself to get out of bed and went into the kitchen to make some coffee. Thankfully, she had some bagels in the freezer. She would have to think about getting some groceries today. She walked over to the mail that her cleaning lady, Mary, had neatly stacked. She made a mental note as she leafed through the envelopes to get all her bills on auto-pay to prepare for her being away. She was grateful she had Mary to keep the loft while she was gone. As she was going through the mail, it occurred to her that her tea set had not arrived. The shopkeeper had told her that it would be there within a few days. She had the business card from the shop. She would check on it after breakfast.
There were still a few sympathy cards trickling in. Catherine was grateful to the people sending them, but she wanted to close that chapter of her life. She did not want to think about Doug anymore. Doug had certainly not thought about her when he decided to leave her and headed to New Mexico. She wanted to start a new life for herself and her child. She viewed the months that she would spend at the lodge as the beginning of her new life.
Catherine went back to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She had to pull out the powdered creamer which reminded her of the morning on The Lady Droxell. Her thoughts went back to Alex making the coffee in a percolator on the stove and then apologizing that he only had powdered creamer. The time they spent on the boat had been a special time -- one she would not soon forget. She hoped it was the beginning of many more special memories that they would make together.
Catherine looked out at the familiar view of the city that she had from her breakfast nook. She had always loved the view. She had always loved New York. But somehow Catherine felt like she no longer belonged here. New York no longer seemed like her home. She didn't know if it would ever feel like home again.
After she had finished her bagel and coffee, Catherine pulled out the business card for the shop in Davenport. She was worried about her tea set. Not only did she love it, but Alex had bought it for her. It had a lot of meaning to her. She wanted to be sure that nothing had happened to it. She found the number and dialed it.
"Ms. Morgan, this is Catherine Wellin. I was in last Monday and purchased the vintage tea set that was to be shipped to me here in New York. I have just gotten home, and it has not yet arrived. I just wanted to follow up."
"Ms. Wellin, I am sorry. Let me explain to you want happened. I planned to ship it out that afternoon as I told you, but I got a call right after you left from my sister who is ill. She needed me to stay with her for a few days. I have just returned to the shop this morning. In all the confusion I forget to tell the young woman who was running the shop for me about mailing the package. So I am sorry, but it won't go out until this afternoon."
"I understand, Ms. Morgan, at least nothing has happened to it." Catherine paused for a moment as a thought entered her mind, "I was wondering . . . could I have it shipped to an address in Canada not too far from you."
"Sure, that would be no problem at all, Ms. Wellin. I'll just put a new label on it."
Catherine gave Ms. Morgan the address for The Osprey Cove Lodge. As it turned out, Ms. Morgan knew of the lodge and Mr. Badeau. She had been sorry to hear of his passing. She promised to send it that afternoon. Catherine was delighted to think that her tea set would be there at the lodge when she arrived and that she could use it with Alex in her temporary home on the third floor.
. . .
Catherine spent the rest of the day and Sunday gathering things she wanted to take to the lodge. And she continued making notes of things that needed to be done in preparation for being gone for the next few months. She phoned Mary and advised her of her new plans.
Monday morning came around quickly. Catherine felt anxious about the task before her of speaking with Jack.
Everyone in the office was glad to have her back, especially Jill.
"It's so good to have you back, Catherine. It's just not the same without you here."
"Well, you better get used to it," Catherine replied smiling. She hadn't intended to tell Jill first, but her comment just seemed to lead into it.
"What do you mean, Catherine?"
"Step into my office for a minute, and close the door."
Jill was both concerned and curious. She was hoping that Catherine was not going to tell her that she was resigning.
"This is confidential; I haven't even discussed it with Jack. But I have made a decision to take a leave of absence."
Jill let out a deep breath. "I thought for a minute you were going to tell me you were resigning. I think that is a good idea, Catherine. You have been through a lot. How are you feeling with the pregnancy now?"
"Oh, much better -- no more dizziness or nausea."
"I'm glad to hear that. How do you think Jack will respond?"
"I'm hoping he will understand and be receptive to it."
"I know he is going to want me to hire the new manager to fill Doug's place before I leave. Do you have all the applicant information ready for me to review?"
"They are right here on your desk," she replied, lifting a folder and handing it to Catherine.
"Great, I plan to get right on the interviews. I'll look at these first thing after I speak with Jack. Well, I guess I better get it over with. Let me head over to Jack's office and see what he says."
"Hope it goes well," Jill replied as she watched Catherine leave her office.
. . .
Jack was sympathetic and readily agreed to allow Catherine to take a leave until after the baby was born. As Catherine expected, his only concern was that she get the new manager hired before she left. He said he would have the other vice president, Bob, cover both departments in her absence. Catherine promised she would start the interviewing immediately. It was agreed between them that as soon as Catherine had the department ready to turn over to Bob, she could start her leave.
When Catherine walked out of Jack's office, her decision suddenly became a reality. There was no turning back now -- not that she wanted to -- but the finality of her decision seemed to hit her in
the face. She hoped she had made the right decision. She suddenly felt a need to talk to Alex and hear his voice of reassurance. She would call him this evening.
Chapter Forty-three
PUERTO VALLARTA
Another nightmare caused Doug to wake suddenly. He sat up in bed. His T-shirt was drenched in sweat. His heart was racing, and his breathing became erratic. His eyes shot open, and he tried to adjust to the darkness around him. Was this real or just a dream? The details of his nightmare were fading, but he vividly remembered the sedan chasing him as he ran on foot with his bag containing the diamonds. It took a while for him to recover. He realized it had been a nightmare, but the events seemed all too real.
He picked up his cell phone to check the time. It was 6:00 AM. It was time to get up and get ready to leave. He needed to get the diamonds to the safe deposit box. He had a long ride ahead of him.
He jumped in the shower, put on the nearest clothes he could find, and grabbed the carry-on bag he had stuffed with clothes. Then he headed down to the library to put the diamonds in the secret compartments of the bag. He went to the kitchen and packed a bag with some drinks and snacks. He did not want to risk stopping anywhere along the way. It was risky enough making the trip.
The level of anxiety that Doug had felt upon waking from his nightmare had barely lessened as he darted out to the garage. His eyes scanned the street below. No sign of the sedan. As he threw his bag on the passenger seat and got into the Corvette, he thought to himself; this is one time I wish I still had that 'piece of junk' rental. It would attract far less attention than my new Corvette. But he didn't have time to rent a car. Someone was hot on his trail. He needed to get the diamonds to safety. He had thought about trying to get them back to the States but getting them through airport security was just as risky as what he was attempting today. He would have to take his chances.
Doug pulled out of the driveway, watching for the dark sedan. It was nowhere in sight. At least that was good news.
The first few hours of the trip were uneventful, and Doug began to relax. There had been almost no traffic on the road. Then in his rearview mirror, he saw a car coming up behind him at high speed. It slowed down, pulled around him to pass, and then abruptly pulled in front of him, stopped and blocked the road. Two armed men with automatic rifles jumped out of the car and ran over to the Corvette. They banged on Doug's window with their rifles, motioning him to put his window down. Doug complied but was frantic with fear. It was no longer fear of losing the diamonds; he now feared for his life.
One of the men jumped into the passenger seat of the Corvette, slinging Doug's carry-on behind him. The other man got back in his car and began driving. The man pointed the rifle at Doug's head and told him to follow the other car. They took Doug to a remote location away from the highway. There they forced him out of the car, told him to get on his knees, and with a gun pointed at his head demanded that he give them all his money. Doug pulled out his wallet in which he had put his cash.
With Doug still down on his knees and a gun pointed at his head, the pair of thieves began a conversation in Spanish.
It appeared one was asking the other how much money was in the wallet. The man holding it took the money out and began counting it. Then the one still holding the gun to Doug's head motioned for the other to go over to the Corvette to do a search. The second guy spent a good deal of time going over every inch of the Corvette, perhaps looking for drugs. In the process, Doug's carry-on was thrown on the ground, and the man proceeded to rummage through it throwing the clothes all over the ground. When he had emptied it, he tossed it off to the side. The secret compartments of the bag had been designed so that they would not be visible to one who was unaware of their existence.
Doug watched the scene in horror. It was as though he had stepped into one of his nightmares. But this was no nightmare. What was happening around him was far too real. Doug felt the imminence of death. Specific events of his life were flashing before him. He thought of his mother, even thoughts of Catherine swirled in his head. His body was trembling. Beads of perspiration were pouring out of every inch of his body. His head was throbbing. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst through his chest. The barrel of the gun felt searingly hot as it dug into the side of his head. He was afraid even to breathe for fear the slightest movement of his breath would cause the trigger to move.
Finally, when it appeared that they were satisfied that they had gotten everything of value out of the car and off Doug, one of the men began to tie Doug's arms together at the wrists behind his back. Then they pushed him into the back seat of their car. One of them got in the driver's seat and the other in the passenger seat and they began to drive off leaving the Corvette behind. The man in the passenger's seat continued to point a gun at Doug. They drove for a short while and came back out to the main highway. Then they threw Doug out of the car, bound his feet with rope, and left him on the side of the road. The thieves sped away.
Doug lay on the side of the road for some time before an old pickup truck slowed and pulled over. The older man got Doug to his feet and attempted to untie his arms. The man didn't need to ask Doug what had happened. It was a far too common occurrence on this highway. When he had untied his arms and feet, he helped Doug over to the truck and got him inside. Doug was physically and emotionally shaken. Thankfully, the man spoke English. He asked him where he wanted him to take him. Doug sat there without replying, evidently in a type of shock. He then decided he would take him to the nearby hospital. When he told Doug that was where he was taking him, Doug acknowledged him with a nod of his head.
When they arrived at the hospital, he took Doug's arm and helped him inside to the emergency area. Doug still was not speaking, so the man told them all that he knew about how he had found him on the road. They found a bed for him in the emergency room.
They treated him for shock and checked for any injuries. Then he was moved to a room and kept for observation. Doug fell asleep, either from the medication or just from sheer exhaustion from the trauma of the day. He did not wake up until the next morning.
The next day it took Doug a while to realize where he was when the sound of the nurse coming into his room woke him up. The events of the day before slowly crept back into his mind. Fear seized him again. This was a different kind of fear. Clearly, he was in no danger lying there in his hospital bed, but he felt a fear of being totally alone and unable to know what to do next. His car had been hijacked, all his money stolen, and the diamonds were gone. He could not remember if the thieves left his wallet when they took the money.
"Nurse, can you tell me if my wallet is with my clothes?"
"Sure, sir, let me look."
She opened the closet where his clothing had been put in a plastic bag and searched through it.
"Yes, sir, here it is," she said as she walked over to the bed and handed it to him.
Doug looked inside to see if his license was still there. It was; he was at least grateful for that and also glad that at the last minute this morning, he had decided to leave his credit card in the safe at the villa.
"Thank you, you can put it back with my clothes. Is there a phone in the room?"
"Yes, it's right here, sir." The nurse pulled the phone over to his bed.
The only person Doug knew to call was Isabella. He didn't know how that would help him, but he felt a need to hear a familiar voice.
"What time is it, nurse?"
"It's just past 6:00 AM."
It was too early. Isabella didn't usually get to the villa until about 7:30 AM. He had told her that he would not be home the next day, so she would not find it unusual when she arrived this morning and saw him still gone.
The nurse left the room. Doug lay there still in a panic. For the first time in his life, Doug didn't know what to do next. He was in a situation that appeared to have no clear path to a good outcome. He did not even know where to go when he left the hospital or how he would even get there. Someone was s
talking him in the dark sedan at the villa. He knew it was not his imagination. The car had followed him on two separate occasions. The driver had even snapped his photo. Doug had no idea who the real owner of the diamonds was. Was it organized crime? Was the man in the sedan sending a report back to the ring leader? Did they plan to break into the villa now that they had found him? Would they hold him at gunpoint and ask him to direct them to the diamonds? And now, he wouldn't even have the diamonds to hand over to them. The diamonds were no longer his primary concern. Doug was quickly learning that there were more important things than all the material things he had coveted all his life. How were they going to help him now?
The doctor walked in while these troubling thoughts were filling Doug's mind.
"Well, Mr. Castlebury, all our tests have not shown any physical harm. There appears to be no internal bleeding or anything broken from being thrown out of the car. Are you having any pain?"
"No, none."
"You've had a lot of trauma. When you were brought in you were clearly in a state of shock. You will have to be alert for post traumatic stress syndrome. You may want to schedule an appointment with your doctor; he'll be able to refer you to someone that can help with that. But I think you are okay to be released. I'll go ahead and sign the paperwork. Do you have any questions?"
"No, no questions," Doug replied in a tone barely audible.
"Take it easy for a while. Your body had been through quite a shock. Try to keep yourself from any stress. Lean on your family and friends for support. Talk about it with them. Sometimes it helps the healing process. Well, if there's nothing else, Mr. Castlebury, I wish you well. I'm sorry this had to happen to you. Take care."
Doug kept hearing the doctor's words running through his head, 'keep yourself from stress, lean on your family and friends.'
Somehow, Doug got enough strength to ring the nurse.
"Yes, Mr. Castlebury?"
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