by Joyce
"It wasn't an affair.” Steve denied heatedly. “We were both drinking and it happened. It was a mistake. I didn't repeat it. Why were you and Al talking about it anyway?"
"Because I still think David's death is linked to Bryce's kidnapping."
"We're back to the corporate reasoning?"
Rae tugged her coat closer as she shivered in the cold. “Duke provides the professional link we were looking for. Where's the personal one? We still don't know who paid Duke and Mary. When we find out, that person will be that link."
Steve stepped closer to her and slipped his arm around her. “Cold?"
"Freezing.” It was too dark to see his face. She traced the contours of it with her hand. New images began to form behind her eyes.
"What are you seeing now?” He kissed the corner of her mouth.
"I see lights and sounds and enough pornography to get arrested."
He laughed. “When I touch you, it's like the 4th of July in my brain. That first time I touched you in your shop, I thought it was a strong static shock. But it keeps getting stronger."
"Don't try to distract me. I know you don't want to talk to me about this."
"You must be psychic."
"I need to know. When did you sleep with her? I know it happened before Bryce was born but how long before?"
"I don't know. It was a long time ago. It was one night. I was drinking."
"Like tonight?” She hated herself for making it personal but the words were out before she could stop them.
Steve stopped walking and faced her. “Nothing like tonight. Sharin was ... is nothing like you. She was waiting for me when I went to bed that night. I know that doesn't excuse it. That's why we agreed not to tell David."
They started walking again. A wall dropped down between them. Rae was still determined to pursue the subject. “So, you didn't know Sharin was going to tell David?"
"No, I didn't know! I might've had her killed before she did it. When she called me to tell me that she blurted it out to him and he was on his way to see me, I couldn't believe it."
"Why did she tell him?"
"I don't know. She was always accusing him of being interested in other women. Maybe something happened between them and she did it to hurt him. It doesn't matter now anyway."
"Steve, could Bryce be your daughter?"
He stopped walking again. “Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Then no!"
"Are you sure?"
"It wasn't that close to when she was born."
"Are you sure?"
"I think I'd know if ... I know she's not my daughter."
"How?"
"It wasn't that close, all right? What does it have to do with anything anyway?"
"Maybe nothing. David could've been that upset because he found out that you slept with his wife."
"Are you saying that you think Sharin told him that Bryce was mine?” Steve's voice was raw and harsh.
"I'm saying that I feel there's a connection between Bryce's kidnapping and David's death. I've felt it from the beginning. I don't understand it. It stays just out of reach but it's there."
He tucked his arm around her again. “Okay. There's a connection. Are you sure it's not just that they're father and daughter?"
"No. It's something to do with why both things happened."
"Someone wants to destroy Solutions?"
"Possibly. It would make sense."
"Maybe Stan and Edna. They've been hinting since David died that we should merge."
They finally reached the motel about a mile from the Interstate exit ramp. It was good to be inside where it was warm. Rae rubbed her hands together while she listened to Steve talk to the sleepy-eyed desk clerk. The motel room was cheap and shabby but it had high speed Internet access.
"I'm starving.” Steve brought some cookies and coffee with him from the office. “I guess I should've eaten instead of drinking when they let me out."
Rae sipped at her coffee. “I think you've held it together pretty well for a man whose lost so much in so short a time."
"If it makes you feel any better,” he finished munching on the cookies, “I'm not ever touching another glass of whiskey. Jack and I have come a long way together but we've come to a parting of the ways."
"It's not easy to give it up."
"I know. I haven't ever tried. But I know friends who have. How do you stay away from it?"
"Up until you came, I hid away from anything that was going to remind me of why I started drinking in the first place."
"No wonder you didn't want to come with me.” He touched her face. “I'm sorry, Rae."
"I'm not.” She slipped off her jacket and shoes. “It taught me something about myself."
"What's that?” He connected the Palm Pilot to the Internet at the little desk.
"That I can't do this again for a living but I don't have to hide either. I can handle it. I don't have to drink anymore."
"Then I can say that I'm glad I found you without fear of repercussion."
"You can't hide from who you are. Lessie told me that a long time ago, but I didn't believe her. So I'm glad you came, too."
Steve switched on the Palm Pilot. Then he stepped away from the desk to sit beside Rae on the edge of the bed. “When this is over, when there's time to think about it, I'd like us to actually have a chance to get to know each other. Just like normal people who don't have a problem."
Rae smiled at him as he touched her hand. “That's something I remember from being on a case. You know so much so quickly about people that it seems like you've known them forever. But when it's over, you go your own way. There's nothing left behind."
"I wish you wouldn't think about it that way. I want to think I'm not just another case. If I couldn't be with you right now—” He kissed the palm of her hand, lingering over it. “Being with you is like being a whole new person. It's like looking inside of myself and seeing what's missing and knowing it can be different."
"That's not always a good thing."
"But I don't want us to go our separate ways when this is over. I don't want to be a stranger that you think about sometimes and wonder what happened to him."
Rae kissed him gently. Their lips clung as if they both guessed that they would go their separate paths after that day. The Palm Pilot beeped its connection and they parted slowly. “I think we're ready."
Steve nodded and threaded his fingers through her hair. “I know. But no matter what happens, I'll come and find you when it's over. Bryce and I will come together."
Rae nodded, unable to speak for the tightness in her throat. She knew it wasn't true. She pushed the emotion away from her. It wasn't over until they found Bryce.
"Where do you want to start?” He sat down at the desk.
"Stan and Edna Nurvin want Solutions. They didn't know that David was stepping away from the company. They thought if they killed David that you wouldn't be able to go on and would sell or merge with them. That didn't happen. They kidnapped Bryce and had you give them the company. They hired Duke to find out your routine and Mary to take care of Bryce."
He shook his head. “That's some major hypothesizing."
"I know. But it's possible."
"But how would they know when to tamper with David's brakes? We aren't that close. Or was that a lucky shot?"
"Coincidences happen. With your confession to David's death, it keeps suspicion from falling on them."
Steve didn't believe it. “There has to be someone else. You said this would have to be someone close to me. Stan and Edna are only acquaintances."
"Then let's concentrate on finding Bryce. We'll worry about proving who the inside source was after we have her back. I memorized the markers on that land where we were this morning. I thought we might be able to find out who pays the taxes on it. It was Bailey's Ford Road and State Road 17. The marker on the land post said 247."
"This could take some time.” He started putting the information into
the PDA. “I'm not Al or Jeff."
Rae went to the bathroom and washed her face. She wasn't crying but she felt the tears inside. The emotions were ripping at her. Her skin was blotchy. Her hair was empathic, refusing to do anything but frizz around her face. She finally subdued it with a rubber band. It was a drastic measure but the pencil wasn't working. She went back to the room and sat down on the bed to plot her next action.
She couldn't locate Bryce again until the bond between them took her there. She hoped to God that something turned up on the PDA. Finally, she fell asleep against the head of the bed.
She dreamed about Bryce again. She saw her sitting in a big chair by a fireplace. The chair was threadbare and her little nightgown was dirty and torn. It was the same nightgown she saw her in before at the coffee shop.
"Hello.” Bryce was looking directly at her. “I waited and prayed for you to come back. Where were you?"
Rae tried to speak but nothing came out of her mouth.
"Can't you talk?"
Rae shook her head.
"But my daddy told me angels could talk!"
The door opened to the little room.
"Who are you talking to?” Duke demanded from the child.
"An angel,” Bryce replied easily. “She came to me before but she can't talk."
"You'd best go to sleep.” Duke was clearly not impressed by Bryce's angel.
"It's cold. I need a cover,” Bryce complained.
"I'll get her a little blanket.” Mary tried to move past her husband.
"Go to sleep.” Duke tossed the cover to Bryce rather than letting Mary tuck it around the girl.
The door closed and Bryce sniffled a little. “Are you still there?"
Rae smiled at her. She wished she could speak. She'd give anything to comfort the poor little girl.
"You're so beautiful,” Bryce told her. “Just like my mommy. Does my mommy miss me?"
Rae nodded her head.
"I know Uncle Steve misses me. I miss him, too. And I miss my daddy.” Bryce started to cry.
Rae came to her and tried to put her arms around her. But she had no real arms to hold her in. All she could do was silently promise Bryce that she was going to find her. Bryce went to sleep, finally, clutching the arm of the chair where she was sleeping. Rae wanted to stay with her but it was more important to try to look around.
The room where Duke and Mary were keeping Bryce looked like a small parlor. There was an air of musty gentility to it. A tiny fireplace with a delicate mantle was cold and empty. It had been made for a woman. The old wallpaper had once been green with pink roses. Yellowed lace curtains hung at the window. There was a threadbare carpet on the floor and the paint on the wainscoting was peeling. The portrait above the fireplace was filthy but obviously of good quality at one time. It was a portrait of the young woman who came here as a bride.
Rae walked through the door Duke had closed and into a kitchen. This room was huge with an old wood-burning cook stove like Lessie had at home. There was no fire here either. The house had to be terribly cold. While she hoped to see them, there was no sign of Duke or Mary. A rough wooden table was set squarely in the middle of the room. There were some empty fast food bags on it. She looked for anything that might give her a clue about where the house was and how she could find it.
Duke stormed through the room. He walked right through her. Rae jumped back then realized that he couldn't see or touch her.
"Where the hell is he?"
"He'll be here, Duke. Don't get impatient now,” Mary scolded. “We're close to the end."
"We better be. I'm getting tired of this. I'm not a babysitter."
"Mr. Williams said he'll come and get her. He will."
Duke paused by the back window. “There was something going on at the mall yesterday. Al acted funny and that little bitch Steve sent with him was nothing but a pain. But if she wasn't there, I'd think he suspected something."
"Nobody suspects anything, honey. Otherwise we wouldn't be standing here talking about it. Now come back to bed. I'm cold."
Rae saw a newspaper and moved slowly towards it. There was a town name and a date on the front page that—
"I've got something, Rae.” Steve shook her arm, waking her. “This might be something we can use."
Rae came back to herself with a deep gasp of air. She sat up, wild eyed, and stared around herself. She was back in the motel room. Before she could read the name on the newspaper. “Damn!"
"What's wrong?” Steve came back to her side.
"I was there looking at a newspaper. One more second and I'd know where it came from."
"I didn't know—"
"You couldn't know. And maybe it didn't matter. Just because he had a newspaper doesn't mean it was from wherever they are now."
"What did you see?"
"The room where Bryce is sleeping. The house looks old, maybe late 1800's, early 1900's. It looks like it used to be a nice place. Now it's old, falling apart. Not as bad as the last place."
Steve breathed deeply. “At least she's still alive."
Rae agreed and took his hand. “She is. And Duke thinks because I was with Al at the mall that he's safe. He's still waiting to hear from you. I don't think he's just saying that to Mary. I think he really believes you're in charge of the whole thing."
"Why would he think that?” Steve went back to the desk. “Unless whoever hired him said he was doing it in my name. Come here and take a look at this."
Rae got off the bed and followed him. She peeked over his shoulder while he pulled up a property tax document.
"The land you had me look up is registered as being owned by Solutions Corp. Take a look at where the money came from for the property taxes."
"It's the same bank from the Cayman's that paid Duke and Mary!"
"There's more.” The screen went blank and another property tax document came up. “There are two more tracts of land that I don't recognize as belonging to me or the company. One in a town called Society Hill and another just outside Athens. The taxes were paid on both tracts by the same account."
She sat down on the bed and bit her lip. “What does it mean? Duke wouldn't have access to company funds to do that, would he?"
"No. And I can't imagine why someone outside the company would buy property and put it in Solutions’ name."
Rae pointed to the screen. “This piece has belonged to Solutions for a year."
"All of these were purchased after David died."
"Who else would have access to funds from Solutions and would buy property in the company name?” Rae racked her brain for the answer. “That would be a waste of money unless you thought you could get access to it later."
"The same person who's paying Duke and arranged to have Bryce kidnapped. And it can't be Stan and Edna."
"What are you doing?” She watched as he left the property tax site and directed the PDA to another site.
"I'm accessing Solutions’ accounts to see if this bank number shows up anywhere else."
"In the meantime, Steve...” Rae thought about the other two sites that were listed. “I think you've stumbled on to the way to find Bryce."
"How's that?” The codes and numbers distracted him.
"If Duke and Mary took Bryce to that little place the Cayman's branch of Solutions bought, maybe they'll take her to one of the other two sites. That might be where they are now."
He paused. “That could be true. I'll look up county maps for them. Whoever's been directing this whole chase has stayed one step ahead. But maybe we found a way to out jump them."
It was seven a.m. Daylight was hazy through a murky cloud cover. Rae felt like they were safe at the motel. But only for a short time. It would be a while before the FBI could find the cab driver and then re-trace his route. But it was going to happen. She kept her eye on the time. They would have to leave by nine or ten.
"It's David.” Steve's voice was hoarse. “The money is being funneled to that account in the Cayman's fr
om David's old account at Solutions."
"That's not possible."
Steve stared at her blindly. “Don't you think I know that? I was there when they pulled him out of the car. He was dead at the scene."
"Then who—?"
"Live feed from Solutions,” Steve interrupted her. “It's an intra-company announcement."
"Good morning. I'm Mrs. Sharin Williams, David Williams’ widow. Most of you know me. As of seven a.m., central time, I am instigating a cash buyout and takeover of the newly merged Solutions/Nurvin Technology group. All Solutions’ stockholders will be asked to vote. I urge you to vote for the remaining member of the Williams’ family who created Solutions. I have stood by while my brother-in-law made a mockery of my husband's efforts to build Solutions. He has recently been charged with David's murder. I am still hoping to have my own dear child, who was kidnapped by corporate terrorists, returned to me today. If you have any questions, please contact my office at—"
"Her office?" Steve mocked. “When the hell did she get an office?"
Sharin! Rae's brain raced with it. “That's it! It's been here all the time but we couldn't see it."
"She used Bryce to make me dismantle the company and sell to the Nurvins. I completely forgot her shares of stock in Solutions! David had some in Nurvin Technology, too. It's probably enough."
"You mean, it could work?” Rae demanded. “She could do all of this and get away with it?"
"Unless we can prove she did it.” He laughed bitterly. “That's why Duke thinks I'm behind this. Sharin set it up that way. If they're caught, he'll testify that I told him what to do and arranged the whole thing. Even Bryce could say she heard my name mentioned. I'm sure Sharin plans on them being caught."
"All the time she's been playing the whiny drunk.” Rae was amazed. “She was really putting all of this together."
"Including David's death. There's your missing link, Rae. Sharin begged David not to abandon Solutions. That's why she's been after me! She wanted the money but she also wanted the power. It's been fun for her being part of the force behind Solutions. When that was coming to a close—"
"She took David out of the picture. She had his brakes tampered with and then told him about the two of you, knowing what he'd do."
