Revenge, Inc.

by J. D. German

  Chapter 40 – Visitors

  Lynn was up early on Friday, too excited to sleep. Looking forward to Matt’s visit made her happy . . . and nervous. She enjoyed being with him, but worried that the relationship might move in a direction she wasn’t ready for. She still clung to the notion that she was somehow cheating on Jack by seeing Murdoch. If only Jack were still alive. Why did you leave me, Jack? You haven’t snuggled with me for weeks. Even if it’s just your spirit, to me you’re real. That brought a sadness that destroyed her happy mood. She laid on the bed and let the sadness take over her mind. She felt a familiar ache in her chest and tried to will herself back to sleep so Jack would appear next to her. . . . But it wasn’t happening.

  After a few minutes of self-pity her rational mind took over. Stop it, Lynn. You’ll drag us back into the depression prison we fought so hard to break out of. Don’t go there! Turn around. Slam the door on your pain.

  It took her a few minutes to shut off the negative feelings and replace them with good ones. But she realized that, instead of pulling up good thoughts of her time with Jack, they were thoughts of the good feelings she got when she helped someone break free from their problems and made those responsible pay. Her joy was coming from her present life. Maybe she was moving forward.

  Lynn got up from the bed and went in to take a shower. She turned the water to cold and let the shock of it snap her out of her lingering melancholy. After she dried herself she put on a robe and went downstairs to make some coffee. Rick beat her to it. He heard her coming down and had already poured her a cup – black, no cream, no sugar.

  As she took her first long sip – actually a slurp because the coffee was still too hot to swallow, she said “Thanks, Rick. I needed this.”

  “Figured you would. What’s the timetable for today?”

  “Well, Matt’s coming sometime before lunch and I want to get his guest bedroom ready.”

  Harriet came in and joined them. “I already finished that. Fresh sheets, pillow cases, towels, washcloths, and toiletries.”

  “Wow, you run this place like a first class hotel.”

  “Yeah. I figure when we get older maybe we’ll turn it into a bed and breakfast for the Washington gentry. You’d be surprised at how many overworked, overstressed people from the DC area would treasure a few days out here. Since we’re already rich we don’t have to make a profit, so we can pick and choose who we let stay here. We can keep up with the latest scandals and affairs by eavesdropping on the guests.”

  Lynn laughed. “And I could install hidden cameras in all the bedrooms so we can record the activity. That way, if we do run out of money, we can get rich on the blackmail payments.”

  Rick looked at her. “Like I said, a devious mind. And a pervert.”

  “What’s the weather supposed to be like this weekend?”

  Rick said “I haven’t checked yet, Harriet.,” as he turned on the TV. “Looks good Friday. Saturday will be good until after dark, then a storm’s coming in.”

  “I hope it doesn’t interfere with our weekend. I’m looking forward to some extended time with Matt. I want to find out what he’s like when he’s not on his best dating behavior.”

  Harriet reassured her. “The two of us will give you guys plenty of time alone. You could even take him up to Jack’s cabin tomorrow.”

  “That’s an idea, but I’ll see how things are going with us before I commit to that.”

  “You’re really being cautious about this, aren’t you Lynn.”

  “I’m not sure how I feel about taking the relationship beyond friendship.”

  “I think you’ll know after this weekend.”

  Lynn and Harriet spent the rest of the morning preparing the lunch – potato salad, soup, a sandwich bar, and Lynn’s specialty desert, key lime pie. They finished just before they heard the intercom from the front gate. “Hello. .. Hello? . . . Is anybody there?” Rick pressed the gate lock release and answered, “Come on up to the house, Matt. There’s room in the garage to park your car. I’ll meet you down there.” He turned to the women and asked, “Are you two coming down with me?”

  Lynn replied “I don’t want to seem too eager, so I’ll stay in the living room.”

  “Me too,” added Harriet.

  Rick left shaking his head. I’ll never understand women, he thought.

  A few minutes later Rick and Matt came up the stairs laughing at some shared comment. When Matt stepped into the living room and saw Lynn his face lit up. She got up and came over to greet him. Should I hug him? Not in front of Rick and Harriet; they’ll read something into it.

  Matt stood there, uncertain about what to do. Should I hug her? It might embarrass her in front of her friends.

  Lynn solved the problem by slipping her arm through his and giving it a squeeze. “Matt, this is Rick’s one and only, Harriet.” Harriet wasn’t bashful – she stepped up and gave him a long hug. “Welcome to The Farm. Sit here with Lynn and rest a bit while I get lunch ready. . . . You coming, Rick?”

  He gave her a quizzical look, then realized it wasn’t a request and jumped up to join her in the kitchen.

  Lynn turned to face Matt on the couch and leaned over to hug him. Matt returned the hug and smiled. “It’s so good to see you again, Matt. I . . . I missed you.”

  “Me too. . . . I mean I missed you too.”

  That led to a mutual laugh, which broke the tension. “You must be tired after the drive.”

  “Not really. I knew there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

  Lynn blushed as she smiled at him. “You certainly know the way to a girl’s heart.”

  “That sounded corny, didn’t it.”

  “Not at all, Matt. I enjoyed the compliment . . . it was a compliment, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes yes, of course . . . Oh, I get it. That was a sample of your humor.”

  Lynn laughed. “At last. You’re starting to understand me.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m uncomfortable around women.”

  “I’m not a woman, I’m your friend.”

  “I could debate that point, but it puts me more at ease. Thanks.”

  Harriet called out, “Lunch ready in five.”

  Lynn took Matt’s hand. “Let me show you to your room so you can freshen up. Did Rick send your luggage up with Henry?”

  “Henry? Oh, the dumb waiter. Yes he did.”

  Matt grabbed his overnight bag in the upstairs hall and followed Lynn to his room. He looked out the bay window. “This room is too big. I’m used to small boxes. I don’t know if I can sleep in a room this big.”

  “Well, we have a broom closet down the hall that might be suitable.”

  “I’m allergic to dust, so I guess I’ll have to put up with this place.”

  Lynn turned to leave. “I’ll see you downstairs when you’re ready.” As she walked down the stairs she thought, I love it that he’s good at joking back and forth. That’s something Jack and I did all the time.

  After lunch they all went out on the deck to enjoy the afternoon sun. Matt opened the conversation. “So tell me about this business you started, Lynn.”

  She looked at Harriet and Rick and got silent nods of approval. “We call it Revenge, Inc. We find people who are being abused or cheated and set things right.”

  “How do you do that?”

  “Well, it depends on what the offender has done. If a deadbeat dad is refusing to pay alimony and child report, I dig into his accounts and see if he is hiding assets from the court.”

  “Then what do you do?”

  “Well, I found a dad recently who had half a million dollars in a hidden account while his ex-wife and kids were barely getting by. So I took some of his money and had Rick put it in an annuity that provided them with a monthly check, and would have enough left over to pay for the kids college when they graduated from high school.”

  “Why didn’t you just report it to the court?”

  “Because it would take mont
hs to get the judge to act, and the man’s lawyers would probably get him off the hook. His family would be no better off”

  “When you say you took some of his money, I presume that you hacked into his hidden account to make that happen?”

  “I’ll need immunity from prosecution to answer that, Matt.”

  “Oh, come on Lynn. I know what you do isn’t squeaky clean. And as long as you’re playing Robin Hood I have no problem with it. But please tell me you never have or never will use it for personal gain.”

  Lynn looked over at Rick and Harriet again. With their nod she answered his question. “Matt, we’re multimillionaires . . . from legitimate sources. We don’t need any more money. As a matter of fact, we use our own assets to fund our work – and to help people out if we can’t get it from the offender.”

  Matt stared at her. “You’re shi . . . you’re kidding me. Are you serious?”

  Rick answered him. “I can show you our financial records and tax returns if you like.”

  “No, no. I don’t need to see them. It’s just that it’s so hard believe. I mean, you’re all so ordinary, down to earth. I don’t see a bit of rich snobbery like the Philadelphia blue bloods flaunt.”

  “That’s because we only acquired our money several months ago. We didn’t grow up as spoiled rich brats.”

  Matt looked at Lynn. “This changes how I look at you. I mean, being in the presence of a multimillionaire – I don’t know how to act.”

  Lynn gave him a dirty look. “Get over it! I’m still the Lynn you enjoy being with. Nothing’s changed. Pretend I’m from a poor coal miner’s family – which I am by the way – who will always let you pick up the tab. Forget I ever told you about the money. That’s why I didn’t tell you earlier. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

  Matt nodded his head. “Okay. I can do that. If I get out of hand smack me on the back of the head to straighten up my thinking.”

  Lynn gave him a smack. “There. Did that reset your thinking?”

  Matt smiled at her. “Yes ma’am.”

  They all laughed at that and started talking about other things until the sun was low in the sky and the evening chill set in. They went back inside and lit a fire in the huge fireplace. Rick poured them all a drink while they watched the evening news on Fox News Network. They were carrying on their own conversations when Lynn shouted “Wait! Look at that! They’re talking about operation Emma.” They all focused on the news report.

  There’s a heartwarming story tonight about a little girl who needs an organ transplant, and a big-hearted insurance company that has agreed to pay all of her medical bills, even the deductible amount. This little girl, from Pocono Pennsylvania, has a rare genetic disorder that started destroying her lungs and liver six months ago. Without the operation she has only a few months to live. The operation will cost close to two million dollars, and the four-hundred-thousand dollar deductible was beyond the ability of the low-income parents to pay. When the CEO of Ohio Consolidated Health Insurance Company heard of the family’s plight, he sent them a letter waiving the deductible amount. The combined liver-lung transplant surgery is expected to take place within the next few weeks.

  Lynn jumped up, waved her arms in the air, and shouted “Whoo hoo! It worked. We won.” Harriet and Rick stood up and the three of them gave high fives and hugged.

  Matt wondered what the excitement was about. When they calmed down he said, “Well . . . are you going to let me in on it.”

  Lynn told him the whole story. When she was through Matt gave her a hug. “Now I understand what you guys do, and I think it’s terrific. What you did for that family is . . .” At that point he choked up, overwhelmed by his emotions. He tried to hide the tears that followed, but Lynn pulled him closer and kissed him on the cheek. Harriet smiled and gave Rick a nudge in the ribs with her elbow.

  Lynn finally dropped her arms and took a step back. She felt her face flush and noticed that his did the same.

  “This calls for a celebratory meal. We have some thick steaks in the fridge, and I’m sure Harriet and Lynn can come up with some mouth-watering side dishes. I’ll get the fire started. Matt, put a coat on and join me on the deck.”

  Harriet whispered to Lynn. “Isn’t Rick wonderful. He knows we can’t wait to talk about things so he’s giving us some space.”

  The next morning they were eating breakfast burritos smothered in green chili sauce. Lynn waited for a break in the conversation and asked Matt, “Would you like to drive up to Jack’s cabin this morning?”

  “Sure. Is there a reason we’re going there?”

  “I’ve got a few remaining ghosts I need to deal with – memories from up there I need to make peace with.”

  Rick and Harriet looked at each other, realizing it was probably a good thing for Lynn, but concerned that it might push her back toward depression. “Are you sure you want to go up there, Lynn. You have some pretty scary memories about the place.”

  “No, I’m okay with it. I’ll have two men watching over me; Matt and Jack.”

  Matt smiled at that, finally putting two and two together. “So this the place where Jack saved you from the car bomb. What else happened up there?”

  “Just a couple of quick exits when some bad people came after us. I’ll fill you in while we’re driving there.”

  “I can’t wait. You’re finally going to tell all. I have been hoping you would let your guard down and tell me more about your amazing adventures.”

  “I didn’t say I would tell all. There are some things you don’t need to know. But I’ll give up most of it.”

  “Great. When do we leave?”

  “How about an hour? And dress warmly. It gets pretty chilly up in those mountains.”

  “Cold enough for long johns?”

  “That would be good.” Lynn had to swallow a giggle as she again imagined him in nothing but the long underwear.

  They were almost to the cabin. Lynn had started her story with her first email to Jack about an experiment he did in junior high school – all the way to her job with Dave. When she was finished she turned to him. “That’s enough about me. On the way back you can tell me all the bad stuff you’ve gotten into.”

  Ten minutes later they got out of Jack’s truck and took in the view from the front porch. Matt whistled. “This is amazing – mountains covered with a pristine forest of hardwoods and evergreens, set behind a glass smooth lake. It doesn’t get better than this.”

  Lynn keyed in the combination to the front door lock and stepped into the main room. Matt came up and stood close to her right shoulder. She could feel the warmth emanating from his body. “I’ll start the generator to get some electricity. Why don’t you get a fire going. The wood is stacked outside the back door.”

  Matt stood beside the woodpile and look up the hill, remembering the car chase Lynn just told him about. He couldn’t see how a car or pickup could fit between the closely packed trees, but Lynn said there was an old road that came to the top of the hill and connected with some logging trails. He put a few logs in the carrier and took them inside.

  A short time later they were sitting on the sofa in front of the fire, letting its warmth overcome the chill. Matt had taken a seat at the far end of the couch from Lynn because he wanted to give her some time with her memories.

  Lynn looked at him and said, “What, are you afraid I’ll bite? Come on over here and put your arm around me.”

  Matt quickly scooted over until their thighs were touching and put an arm around her shoulders. “Ummm. That’s better. Jack and I used to snuggle here for hours talking – or just sitting silently. Those kind of moments strengthened the bond between us.”

  Matt looked down at Lynn wondering whether she would choke up at the memory, but she had a smile of contentment on her face. Lynn reminisced about other things she and Jack had shared. Matt was a little jealous of Jack, thinking how can I compete with a ghost. But he realized she needed to talk about him to loosen the emotional conn
ection that kept her from letting go of him.

  Finally Lynn quit talking and got up from the couch. “I’m hungry. How about a sandwich?” They had stopped at the town grocery store in Mill Creek on the way here and got some fixins as Lynn called them. She put together two ham and cheese sandwiches and made some hot tea.

  “Is it too cold to eat out on the porch” Matt asked?

  “Not if you’re wearing your long johns.”

  “Yes, I took your advice and came prepared.”

  They sat side by side on the wooden double swing and took in the scene. “Quite often we see wild animals out there – raccoons, squirrels, deer, bears, and eagles. And tons of cardinals. I love their pretty singing. I’m good at imitating their call with a whistle. Sometimes I carry on conversations with them.”

  “So among your many other talents you talk to birds? What do you talk about?”

  “Oh, mostly about the weather, and where the lady cardinals might pick up a bright scarlet male. . . . No, not really. I was making up that last part. But I do wonder what a cardinal thinks I’m saying with my whistles.”

  Matt laughed. “I knew you were kidding about the bird conversation. But I wasn’t really certain. You do so many other things well I thought it might be possible for you to discuss things with them.”

  “I should have kept you guessing. How about a tour of the place?”

  “Great. And I want to start by following Jack’s string of wireless video cameras to where he got the bears to attack the guys spying on him.”

  An hour later Lynn finished the tour in Jack’s hidden basement command center by describing the computer-controlled surveillance system. She even played back the videos of the two of them walking the trail around the lake. Lynn turned on the audio tracks to show him how clear the sound of their conversations was.

  “Now you know everything about my secret hideaway in the mountains.”

  “Do you come here often?”

  “Only a couple of times recently. It’s a six-hour drive from Philly. But now that I’m closer I expect to spend more time up here. The peace resets my stress level to nearly zero.”

  It was almost three p.m. when they came up from the cellar, and they didn’t like what they saw outside. Ugly clouds were gathering quickly as the storm moved in ahead of schedule.

  “We better get out of here before the rain hits, Matt. These mountain roads can be treacherous in the rain. You put the leftover groceries in the truck while I turn the alarm system back on.”

  They only got halfway down the steep road between Jack’s place and the main highway before the rain hit. It was so heavy that Lynn couldn’t see through the windshield, so she pulled over to wait for the rain to let up. Almost an hour later the rain had let up enough to see the road, but she had to drive very slowly – which was a good thing because as she rounded a curve Lynn slammed on the brakes just in time to stop short of a rock slide across the road.

  “You think we can move these rocks?” Lynn asked Matt hopefully.

  “Not unless you’re looking forward to back surgery.”

  “So, what now?”

  “How long will it take the road maintenance people to get up here to clear it?”

  “With this rain there will be similar problems throughout the county. Since this is a seldom-traveled road we’re pretty low on the priority list. I think we’ll be lucky if they even get to it tomorrow.”

  “What’s Plan B?”

  “I don’t have a Plan B. We could try taking the back road out behind the cabin, but we’d be sliding downhill on muddy roads most of he way. So that’s not really an option.”

  “How about Plan C. Can we get someone up here with a bulldozer?”

  “No, they would have to bring it up on a flatbed, and no one will try that in this weather. So unless there was one up here already for construction or road work, there’s no way. . . . Wait! There is one up here. Jack has a Bobcat with a front-end loader parked in the barn. It’s a lightweight as dozers go, but I think it can handle these rocks.”

  Matt thought about it. “That should work, but by the time we get back up there it will already be getting dark. We’ll have to wait until morning – and hope the rain is gone by then.” He looked at Lynn to see how she would react to spending a night together.

  She sighed as she turned the truck around to head back to the cabin. “Alright. We can’t do anything about it tonight.” Then she smiled and said, in a kids voice, “I get the top bunk.”

  “You have bunk beds? . . . Oh, you’re putting me on again. I’ll get used to it. What about food. We might squeeze one more sandwich out of the lunch leftovers, but that won’t be enough.”

  “Not to worry. Jack has a freezer stuffed with trout and deer meat. Or, you being an old military man, I have some MREs that might appeal to you. What does that stand for, anyway?”

  “There are lots of ugly names attached to that acronym by the soldiers who have to eat them, but the official army name is Meals – comma – Ready to Eat.”

  “Why not Ready to Eat Meals? It would save all that ink it takes to print the commas.”

  “It’s the military. There’s a sign over the entrance to the Pentagon that reads ‘Abandon All Logic and Reason, Ye Who Enter Here.’”

  “Now you’re putting me on. There isn’t really a sign like that, is there?”

  “No, but there might as well be.”

  When they arrived back at the cabin Lynn pulled into the garage and lowered the door. “The Bobcat is over there in the barn. Let’s go check it out to make sure it still runs. I don’t think it’s been started in over a year.”

  Lynn opened the side door of the garage and saw the barn door fifty yards away. She took Matt’s hand and ran for the barn door. By the time she got it unlocked they were both soaked to the skin. They tumbled in the door laughing and stopped to look around. “There’s the Bobcat over in the corner.”

  “Jack had a liking for big boys toys, didn’t he. A snowmobile, a jet ski, a lawn tractor, and . . . what’s that over there.”

  “That’s his hang glider. He planned to modify it by adding a small jet engine but he didn’t get around to it before . . . before he was killed. Climb into the Bobcat and see if you can start it.”

  Matt turned the key but nothing happened. “It seems like the battery is dead. We’ll have to charge it before we can take it out.”

  “Jack keeps a couple of spare batteries on a trickle charger in the back room. They should be good to go.”

  Matt disconnected one of them from the charger and hauled it over beside the Bobcat. He grabbed a wrench from the workbench and replaced the dead battery. When he turned the key the engine reluctantly turned over, then roared to life. “Hot dog, we’re in business. Let’s get back to the house and get a fire going. I’m freezing.”

  They left their wet shoes in the rear entryway and stood dripping on the kitchen floor. They looked at each other, soaking wet, hair plastered to their faces, and broke out laughing. Matt saw that Lynn was shivering and pulled her to him. They stood there, arms wrapped around each other, trying to generate some warmth to stop the shivering.

  “I need to get a fire started in the living room, but I can’t go in there dripping water and mud.”

  “Me neither. Turn your back while I get out of my sweatshirt and jeans so I can get us some towels. You strip to your long johns and get the fire going.”

  Matt looked at her. “Your not serious?”

  “Yes I am. Now turn your back while I undress. When you hear the bedroom door slam you can start stripping.”

  Matt felt embarrassed, even with Lynn out of the room, but he went ahead and removed all of his outer clothes. He had a good fire going when Lynn came into the room in a robe with towels over her arm – and burst out laughing. With a red face he said “What’s so funny?”

  “I’ve been imagining what you would look like in nothing but your long johns, and now I know.”

  “I must be pretty funny loo
king to make you laugh so hard.”

  “No, not at all Matt. But you do look like a Norman Rockwell painting.”

  That made him blush even more. “Let me have one of those towels so I can dry off. I’m glad you like me in my long underwear, but I can’t stay in these. They need to dry out. But I’ve got nothing else to put on.”

  “I’ll get a set of Jack’s flannel pajamas and a robe from the bedroom. Then we can wash our clothes so they’ll be clean and dry by morning. Come with me and let’s find you some warm pajamas and a robe.”

  The two of them were sitting side-by-side in front of the fire drinking hot spiced wine. “This stuff is great, Lynn. Where did you learn to make it?”

  “From my skiing days. Have you ever skied?”

  “I haven’t ever lived anywhere near a ski resort.”

  “The Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort is about fifty miles south of here. Maybe we can try it out next winter.”

  After several seconds of silence, Matt replied, “I’d like that.”

  “How about some supper. What sounds good to you?”

  “You choose, Lynn. Something easy.”

  “Okay. Since I have never tasted an MRE, let’s have a couple of those. What flavor is best?”

  “I think all of them are made of the same stuff. They figure if they put the right food coloring and scent in it, and label it beef and noodles, or chicken and dumpling, that’s what soldiers will taste when they eat it.”

  “Do they offer a good Italian pasta with marinara sauce and Chianti on the side?”

  “There’s something close to that, but you’ll have to provide the Chianti.”

  “I wonder if I put red food coloring in water and tell you it’s Chianti, will it fool your taste buds?

  After their MRE supper they were sitting on the couch with Lynn nestled under Matt’s arm. “This is so pleasant, Matt.”

  “What? Sitting in front of the fire?”

  “No, the closeness of sitting here with your arm around me. You aren’t really a romantic, are you Matt.”

  “What man is? If a guy says he’s a romantic, I think he’s just telling his woman what she wants to hear.”

  “No, I disagree. I’ll accept that it takes awhile being together with a woman he loves, but if he’s willing to climb out of the macho box our culture puts him in, I think most men will find their romantic core and enjoy a much deeper relationship.”

  “One can always hope.”

  They fell into a comfortable silence after that, each toying with their own thoughts.

  Lynn: I like this guy, even if he is a little John Wayne-ish. I feel comfortable and safe in his arms. . . . Talk about fitting into a cultural box. Here I am enjoying his protective arms around me, willing to trade my independence for the warmth and comfort of his embrace.

  Bill: I’m not sure what she, or any woman, wants from men. God created the roles we’re supposed to play in a relationship, but feminism has destroyed that. I keep thinking about a quote I heard from Dr. Laura on the radio – ‘A woman doesn’t want to hear a man open up and tell her about his feelings. She wants him to empathize with her while she talks about her own feelings.’ But whatever, this sure feels good.

  Lynn: I feel romantically drawn to him. If he wants to make love with me tonight, will I give in? I don’t know. I think I have let go of the feelings that I’m betraying Jack with this relationship, but if it comes to making love . . .

  Bill: I feel really drawn to Lynn. When she’s this close, my body responds in ways that could be embarrassing. I’m not sure what I would do if she wants to make love tonight. If she still has hang-ups about Jack it could ruin our relationship if we take this step too soon. There’s no need to rush it, but damn she turns me on.

  They both almost fell asleep, but Lynn had to pee. When she got herself disentangled from Matt he raised his head. “Bedtime, huh.”

  “Yeah, I was drifting in and out of sleep. We’d better turn in so we can get an early start on clearing the road.”

  They both stood up and Matt said hesitantly, “May I, um, kiss you goodnight?”

  She held out her hand coquettishly and said “You may, sir.” He looked a little puzzled by that, but lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

  Lynn laughed. “That’s not a kiss, silly. Here’s a kiss.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to kiss him on the lips. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but it was lingering and left them both with a familiar warmth inside. Matt pulled away and told her “This has been a wonderfully enjoyable day, Lynn. I hope we can share some more.”

  “Oh, we will. Definitely.”

  She kissed him lightly one more time and went into the master bedroom. Matt went into the guest room and laid on the bed, enjoying the warm feeling that suffused his body.

  Lynn closed the door and reached in the drawer for something to sleep in. She had taken most of her things to the apartment, but there was one nightgown left – a knee-length satin shift in midnight blue with muted ivory lace around the neckline and hem. I hope he doesn’t see me in this. It would probably give him lascivious ideas. But it’s all I have. She slipped it on, climbed under the covers, and was asleep in a few minutes.

  Matt lay awake on top of his bed, unable to sleep because of the thoughts going through his head. I think I’m falling in love with her. . . . No, I know I’m falling in love with her. Does she feel the same way about me? Can this relationship go anywhere with me in Philly and her at The Farm? I could take an early retirement next year, but what would I do in Leesburg? They’re not likely to need a detective, and I don’t want to drive a squad car.

  Lynn was sound asleep at two a.m. when the crack of a gunshot jerked her awake. It took her only a second to reach for her gun on the bedside table, roll off the bed, and slide back into a dark corner of the room. Zarah must be in the house! She held the gun in front of her aiming at the door. She shouted “Matt! . . . Matt! . . . are you okay?”

  A few seconds later the door was pushed open and someone stood silhouetted in the frame. Lynn started to squeeze the trigger when she heard Matt’s say “Lynn?”

  “Thank God it’s you. I almost shot you. I heard a gunshot? Did Zarah take a shot at you?”

  Matt turned on the light, then walked over and knelt down beside her, taking the gun from her hand. “It was just a crack of lightning outside, Lynn. I think it might have hit a tree up on the hill behind us. No one is going to harm you.”

  Lynn sat there in the corner shaking. “I thought Zarah was coming for me, Matt. And I wasn’t ready for her.”

  Matt took her hand, stood her up, and wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug. “It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here for you.” He held her close until the shaking stopped. Almost at the same time they both noticed what they were wearing. Matt stepped back and looked at her in her nightgown. The words came automatically out of his mouth. “God, you’re beautiful.”

  Lynn felt a warm glow from those words, just before she felt embarrassment set in from him seeing her in such a skimpy nightgown. She pulled loose and reached for her robe. As she tied the belt at the waist she said “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to see me like this. It’s all I had to sleep in.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. That image will stay with me for a long time.”

  Lynn fidgeted with renewed embarrassment and joked to cover it up. “Well, the glimpse I had of you in oversized plaid flannel pajamas hopefully will fade quickly.”

  The both smiled at that as Matt left for the guest bedroom.

  It took them awhile to get the Bobcat down to the rockslide, but once there it didn’t take Lynn long to clear it. They drove back up to the cabin, put the Bobcat away, and headed for The Farm in the truck. They called Rick and Harriet earlier to let them know why they were delayed, but both of them stood anxiously at the door as they arrived.

  Rick asked, “Did you have any trouble moving the rockslide?”

&nb
sp; “No, Lynn’s a wizard with the Bobcat. She had it cleared in twenty minutes.”

  Harriet shooed them inside. I’ll have lunch whipped up for you shortly. Then you can tell us about what you did up there all night. . . . Oh dear. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

  Lynn told her, “That’s alright, you’re forgiven for having your mind in the gutter.”

  “Now you’ve really made me feel bad.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about. We just shared a pleasant evening in front of the fire followed by separate sleeping arrangements.”

  Rick and Harriet gave each other looks that said “Yeah, right.”

  After lunch they sat out on the deck enjoying the smell of rain-washed air. Matt noticed the lawn was recently mowed. “It looks like you’ve been busy mowing grass already. That’s one reason I’m glad I live in an apartment. That’s a lot of lawn – how long does it take you?”

  “I have a small tractor with an eight-foot cutting deck, so it doesn’t usually take more than an hour.”

  “With that thick hedge surrounding the property no one can see what shape your lawn is in, so why mow it?”

  Harriet spoke up. “Because I can see it, and I like neat.”

  “Speaking of seeing in, I saw a vehicle parked outside the fence while I was mowing. They left after I passed them a couple of times.”

  “Could it be your neighbors?”

  We don’t have any close by. There’s an old dirt road over there, so it might have been someone out for a hike.”

  Lynn was only half paying attention until her brain registered what she just heard. She asked Rick sharply, “What kind of vehicle was it!”

  “I couldn’t really tell looking through the hedge, but I think it was a light colored late model SUV.”

  “It wasn’t a black pickup, was it?”

  “No, that would have gotten my attention since you told me Zarah drives a black Avalanche.”

  Lynn relaxed back into her chair. “I hate it having to live looking over my shoulder all the time. I wish I had killed her in that warehouse.”

  Matt pointed out, “You barely escaped with you life. Be thankful for that.”

  “You’re right. . . but I can’t get her off my mind.”

  Matt looked at her. “Remind me again why she is so driven to kill you?”

  Rick and Harriet looked at each other. Lynn had never told them what happened to Alexei, but they thought Lynn probably killed him somehow.

  Lynn was silent for a couple of minutes. “Okay, Matt. Since we seem to be headed for a close relationship I’ll tell you the truth. It could send me to prison, but I trust you not to act on it. In detective jargon it’s off the record and hypothetical, got that?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  She looked at Rick and Harriet. “Got that?”

  “You can trust us with your life, Lynn. We’re all family.”

  “After Jack and Serena were killed, I was driven by anger and a need to make Alexei Brusilov pay for what he did. I searched for properties he owned and found two – the one in Alexandria and another up in Wisconsin’s Nicolet National Forest. I figured he would have gone there to hide in case the police were hunting for him.

  So I went there to kill him. I sneaked up to his cabin and when he opened the door I knocked him out with my rifle butt. By the time he regained consciousness I had cuffs and leg irons on him. He asked if I was going to shoot him, but told him that was the easy way out for him, so I was going to turn him over to the authorities.

  Then I took him outside, put him in the back of his Hummer H3, and hand cuffed him to the rear seat frame. But instead of driving him to the nearest police station, I parked it out in the middle of a small lake near his house. He couldn’t see out because he was on the floor, so he asked me why I had stopped. I told him that he and his heavyweight Hummer were about to be sent to the bottom of the lake. Then I got out, lit the fuse on a charge of dynamite beneath the vehicle, and left. As I was driving away on my snowmobile I heard the explosion and the sharp crack of the ice breaking up. I hate to admit it, but damn that felt good.”

  The others sat in silence for a minute, then Matt spoke up. “So Alexei drowned at the bottom of a remote lake in northern Wisconsin?”

  “Maybe. I told him as I shut the car door that, as tightly sealed as HumVees are, I wasn’t sure whether he would run out of air or freeze to death first.”

  “Did you actually see the Hummer go through the ice?”

  “No, I was out of sight when I heard the explosion.”

  “So you don’t know for sure if Alexei is really dead, do you.”

  “I don’t see how he could have survived. . . . But I suppose it’s possible.”

  Matt concluded the discussion with his own verdict. “Well, it appears to me that, since you didn’t actually witness the car sinking into the lake, we can’t say for sure that he’s dead. So all we really have here is a missing persons case, and there’s no crime in that.”

  The other three visibly relaxed at Matt’s words as the tension left them. Lynn looked at him and said, “I like the way you think, Detective Murdoch. I believe I’ll keep you around for awhile.”

  After an afternoon of laughing and talking, Rick and Harriet got up to prepare supper. Lynn slid over next to Matt and pulled his arm around her. No words were necessary. They had both learned something new about the other that drew them even closer. Lynn looked up and they shared a long kiss. She thought she might have heard Jack say Way to go, girl.