by Curry, Edna
Loni caught her breath. She didn’t want to tell Dee she’d left the phone and utilities in her aunt’s name on purpose, hoping that would make her move harder to trace. “Well,” she hedged, “I’d rather leave the utilities in your name for now, if that’s all right with you.”
When she heard only silence on the line, Loni added quickly, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep them paid on time.”
“I’m not worried about that, dear. But wouldn’t you rather have things in your own name? You need to build your own credit in the area.”
Loni gulped her soda. “Don’t worry. I’m sure there’ll be no problem. I’ve got the store’s box at the post office for my mail, too. I’ve got to get dressed now, Aunt Dee. Maria is having a party tonight. Jolene is picking me up in a few minutes.”
“How nice. Maria has a lovely flower garden and pool in her yard. You’ll enjoy seeing your old high school classmates again, too. Have fun, dear.”
“Thanks, I’m sure I will. Bye for now.”
Loni hung up and hurried to find her bathing suit and a towel and stuffed them into her gym bag.
Then she changed into brown slacks and a cream colored blouse, brushed her hair and freshened her make-up. She’d barely finished and walked back into the living room, when she saw Jolene’s small red Chevrolet pull into the drive.
She grabbed her purse and gym bag and hurried outside.
“Hi, Loni. You’re right on time.” Jolene began backing out of the drive as soon as Loni had closed her door.
“I didn’t think I would be ready on time for a while there. Aunt Dee called just as I got home.”
“Oh? How’re she and Mindy doing?”
“Really good, I think,” Loni said, giving her the latest news from Dee.
“I’m glad. I know Dee was really upset about Mindy.”
“Yes, she was. Who else is coming tonight?”
“Maria invited mostly the old gang, I think. She said she’d also invited the people from the mall stores, since it’s a welcome for you. She thought you might like a chance to get to know them a little better.” Jolene glanced at her for approval.
Loni managed a smile and nodded. Her stomach knotted up at the idea of once again meeting strangers and having to decide who to trust. She could hardly say she didn’t want to get to know her business neighbors. Besides, they’d been living here in Canton so they couldn’t be involved in her problems. She had to stop worrying so much.
* * * *
As they got out of the car at Maria’s long rambler, music floated to them from the pool area in the rear. They followed the sidewalk around the house to the walled-in back yard. Climbing rose vines grew over the wooden slats that protected the pool from neighborhood children. Or was it the other way around?
A long table set up on the cement patio between the house and pool was laden with bowls and platters of every size and color. Smoke curled from a barbeque beside it, and the delicious odors of grilling beef met their noses. Loni glanced around the ring of chairs, recognizing most of the occupants.
“Hey, look who’s here. The guest of honor has arrived.” Maria stood beside the barbeque, waving her spatula at them. “Hi, Loni and Jolene. Come on in. You know everybody already, don’t you?”
“Hi, everybody,” Loni said.
A heavy-set young man called, “Come sit over here by me, Loni. I haven’t seen you in years.”
“Maybe that’s the way she likes it, Harvey.” Jolene returned, setting her bowl of three bean salad on the table. “Besides, what’s your wife gonna say?”
“Harvey Lathrop?” Loni eyed the man Jolene had called Harvey, trying to make him fit her memory of the boy he’d been when she last saw him. He’d definitely changed. He’d gained thirty pounds and cut his hair. “What happened to your pony tail?”
Harvey’s mouth twisted ruefully. “My boss told me to lose it if I wanted the job,” he said. “I decided money was more important, now that I have a wife and baby.”
“Harvey married Cindy Jennings. You remember her, she was one year behind us,” Jolene said, nodding to the tall brunette cutting a cake into squares. Cindy smiled and waved at them.
Loni returned the smile and wave. “Yes. Hello, Cindy.”
A prickle raising the hairs on the back of Loni’s neck warned her of Matt’s presence. She turned, one hand to her throat. He paused on the patio behind her, a smile on his face. He looked even more handsome now, in casual navy slacks and a pale blue shirt with the top two buttons undone. A dark swirl of chest hair peeked from the opening in his shirt.
She swallowed and managed to return his smile and greeting as he moved toward her.
He nodded to where the others sat. “Come join us over here. You remember Bob and Carol from the mall restaurant and Kerry, my assistant?” Matt took her arm. A shiver of awareness ran through her as they followed Jolene to the few empty chairs left in the circle by the pool. Why did the man make her so jumpy?
She sat beside him, glancing around the group, trying to match faces with ten-year-old memories.
“What have you been up to since you left Canton, Loni?” Cindy asked, plopping herself into the next chair.
“The usual stuff,” Loni said. “Four years at the U of Minnesota, then mostly working in small businesses in various places around the country.”
Jolene frowned. “I thought you moved here from Chicago?”
“I did,” Loni agreed. “I tried several different cities before that, though.”
“And now you’ve come home,” Harvey said, trying to hold her attention. “That’s great. Say, weren’t you voted ‘most likely to go to Hollywood’ in our yearbook?”
Loni laughed self-consciously. “So I was. Right after our senior class play, wasn’t it? I’d forgotten that.”
“I didn’t. You were our play’s biggest hit as the bathing beauty in that skimpy red bikini.”
Loni wrinkled her nose. “Don’t remind me. My dad’s face turned absolutely purple when he saw it.”
Matt was eyeing her curiously, making her even more self-conscious. What was he thinking?
“Well, the rest of us thought you looked great in it,” Harvey said with a smirk.
Loni cringed at his insinuation that her suit had been too skimpy. The bikini hadn’t really been so different from any other swimsuit the teens wore then. Certainly not as daring as some of the string ones she’d seen since. She shot a glance at Matt, who was frowning at Harvey.
“Don’t pay any attention to Harvey,” Cindy put in. “He has a dirty mind.” She tossed her husband a quelling look. He ignored her.
“The food is ready. Come and fill your plates,” Maria called.
Loni joined in the food line and then sat at the long table enjoying the happy chatter as they ate.
* * * *
Matt took a seat across the table and listened to the little high school group get re-acquainted.
Loni fascinated him, and he couldn’t help being very interested in anything regarding her or her past. She laughed and chatted now, seeming to be very relaxed. Yet he sensed a tension in her, a wariness of her surroundings that she tried unsuccessfully to hide. Her nervous hands often smoothed her short blonde hair and her eyes roamed the people around the table.
During a lull in the conversation, Harvey’s cell phone rang, and Loni turned pale and went stiff, her fork stopping half-way to her mouth.
Matt met her eyes, and read panic in their hazel depths. She quickly dropped her gaze and, taking a deep breath, put her fork down and drank some water. She glanced at Harvey who’d pulled his phone from his pocket and moved a few steps away to take the call.
Loni said, “His phone has the same ring tune as my old phone did.” As if to say it was nothing after all, she smiled at Matt and resumed eating. Her color slowly returned to normal.
Why had the ringing phone upset her so? What was she afraid of?
Matt could see the fear written on her face, in her widened eyes and pinched lips. It vibrated be
tween them as though it was his own and sent a shiver down his spine. He felt a warm urge to protect her from whatever scared her so much. But until he knew what she feared, he could do nothing to help her. Would she tell him?
After dinner they all helped clear the tables and put away leftovers, then they sat around to chat a while.
Harvey and Cindy left, saying their sitter couldn’t stay late tonight. The others changed into swimsuits.
Matt watched Loni walk out of Maria’s house in a sleek green swimsuit that fit her like a glove. His mouth went dry. She was gorgeous. She stepped to the pool’s edge, slipped in and struck out for deeper water.
Matt moved to the edge of the pool and dived in to join her. He grinned at her as they swam side by side until they reached the other end. Touching the edge of the pool, she turned and kicked off, then returned. He matched her, stroke for stroke, staying even with her as they went for another lap.
Later, they rested in padded lounge chairs, enjoying the unusually warm spring evening. Soft yard lights sent a yellow glow across the water and made shadows dance. “You’re a good swimmer,” he said.
“Thanks. You are, too.”
“A few of us are going on a picnic on the St. Croix River next Sunday, a week from tomorrow. The weather’s supposed to stay really warm. Would you like to join us?”
“Who’s going?” she asked cautiously.
“It will be mostly the gang who are here tonight. Maybe a couple others, but you probably know them, since the others here do,” Matt said. Why was she so nervous about meeting new people? It didn’t fit with the image he’d gotten of her from what Dee had told him.
“All right, I’d love to go.” She smiled tentatively at him, as though unsure of the correctness of her decision.
He wasn’t letting her change her mind. “Great. I’ll pick you up around ten on Sunday, then.”
“Shall I bring something?”
“Just bring a swimsuit and towel. I’ll bring food.”
The others had gone into the house so they were alone for the moment. Music drifted out to them from inside Maria’s house. He could smell the fragrance of the lilacs along the fence. A soft breeze rippled the leaves in the old elm tree overhead.
She shivered and drew her wrap closer. “The evening’s turning cool. I think I’ll get out of this wet suit.” She rose to her feet beside his lounge chair.
He put out a hand and closed his fingers over her arm. “Is anything wrong, Loni?”
She froze and frowned down at his hand. “Wrong? Of course not. Why do you think that?”
He shrugged. “You’ve been jumpy all evening.”
“You’re imagining things.” Her voice dripped ice and her gaze pointedly stayed on his hand.
With a sigh he released her. She spun away from him and strode into the house without looking back. He leaned back in his chair, thinking about her. He’d never known anyone who stayed in his thoughts the way she did.
She was avoiding him, was nervous about being alone with him. Was it only him? Or any man? He rose and went inside to join the others. Should he offer her a ride home and try to find out what was bothering her?
But as he stepped inside, he saw she had already changed clothes and stood at the door with Jolene, saying goodnight to Maria. He remembered she’d arrived with Jolene.
He wouldn’t learn any more tonight. But he wouldn’t give up.
Chapter 4
“Thanks for the lovely party, Maria,” Matt said, and followed Loni and Jolene outside. The women waved goodnight to him and headed down the sidewalk toward Jolene’s little red car.
He’d turned toward his blue Buick, when Jolene’s scream sent a surge of adrenaline spiraling through him. Turning, he hurried over to find out the problem. In the dim light of Maria’s yard light he saw that every tire on Jolene’s car was flat.
He swore and knelt down beside the nearest one. Running his fingers along the rubber, he sought the cause and found the jagged, rough spot of a puncture. Not a nail or sharp stone, but a hole probably made by a sharp metal tool. Dismay tightened his gut as he told them, “Someone deliberately slashed them, or poked a hole in them.”
“Who could have done such a thing?” Jolene knelt beside him for a closer look. “I’m going to have to buy all new tires!”
“Ask Maria to call the sheriff.” Matt said.
“Yes, of course. Guess I’ll have to ask her to give us a ride home later, too.” She headed back to Maria who stood at the door saying goodnight to some of the others. They’d apparently all heard the scream and were now all looking toward her.
Matt eyed Loni. She had her arms crossed, hugging herself. Pale and drawn, she shivered in the warm evening. “Do you want to wait for the sheriff with Jolene? Or may I take you home?”
“I’d rather go home, please.” Her hazel eyes appeared luminous in Maria’s yard light.
He nodded, asked Maria to tell Jolene he would see Loni home, and helped her into his car. She huddled into her seat, sitting with her arms still wrapped around herself, silent on the short ride to her home. Matt wanted to take her in his arms and assure her everything would be alright. Instead, he frowned as he pulled up to her dark house.
He turned to Loni. “I thought Dee had a yard light. Did you forget to turn it on?”
“No, I…I thought it was on a timer. Or light activated, or something.”
They got out and walked to her door. Her warm, slim back swayed under his palm, sending a surge of need through him. He forced his mind back to their discussion. “Maybe it’s just a burned out bulb. If not, you should call and have the power company check it and get it working again. It’s way too dark out here in the country without it.”
“Good idea. I’ll do that tomorrow.” Her voice sounded warm and sultry on the spring evening air.
Did he dare kiss her goodnight? Or would she consider that too forward? This wasn’t a date, after all, even if they had spent the evening together and he’d given her a ride home.
She stepped away from his hand. “Thanks for bringing me home, Matt.”
Well, that settled that. She didn’t want a kiss. “You’re welcome, Loni. Goodnight.”
She unlocked her door, snapped on the foyer light, then screamed, backing away.
What in the world? His gaze quickly circled the area around them, but he could see nothing out of the ordinary. “Loni? Are you all right? What’s wrong?”
She turned and stared at him, her eyes wide and terrified, then threw herself into his arms.
He held her tightly. “Are you alright? You’re shaking. What’s wrong?”
“H…Hold me,” she whimpered.
He cuddled her into his arms, and stroked her hair, thinking how soft and silky it felt under his hand. He tipped her head back so he could look into her eyes.
“What happened, Loni?”
“That!” she said with a shudder. She pointed to a dark bundle on the sidewalk beside her door. “I didn’t see it until I turned on the foyer light. I almost stepped on it.”
He let go of her and stepped closer. A dead raccoon lay stretched out on its side, its head smashed in and bloody. It definitely hadn’t died of natural causes.
He pulled her inside the living room and closed and locked the door. She still shivered, whether with revulsion or from fear, he couldn’t tell. He didn’t blame her for her reaction. His own stomach churned at the revolting sight.
Leading her through to the kitchen, he pulled out a chair at the table and eased her into it. “I think we need something hot to drink. Would you like tea? Or coffee? A hot Toddy?”
“Tea. I don’t keep liquor in the house.” She shuddered and rubbed her cheeks with her hands, then sat with her fists clenched between her knees.
“Okay.” He sent her a glance as he filled the teakettle and put it on the stove to heat.
Loni watched him for a moment, then, her voice suspicious, asked, “How do you know where everything is?”
He laughed. “Dee
asked me for help with home repairs a few times. She always served me tea and cookies. Sometimes sandwiches, too.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, still trembling.
“No problem.” He eyed her. “I’ll check out the rest of the house while the water heats.”
“Thanks.”
“All seems okay,” he said, when he came back to the kitchen. “Do you want me to call the sheriff and report this?”
“Yes, I suppose we should.” She nodded her head, her face pale. “But he’s probably still at Maria’s. This seems to be the night for dirty tricks. Maybe he’ll say it’s not important.”
“He might,” Matt agreed. “It’s probably someone’s idea of a joke. A sick joke,” he added when she sent him an incredulous stare. “But I think he should be told. On second thought, this coming right after the tire slashing, maybe Ben won’t dismiss it so easily.”
He crossed the living room to her phone. Glancing back, he saw she watched him make the call. He spoke to the sheriff’s office, explained the problem, then hung up and came back to her. He hated to see her so upset. If only he dared take her in his arms and ease the fears from her mind. But they’d only known each other a few days. It was too soon to take such liberties, however attracted he was to her. He said, “Sheriff Ben will be out in a little while. I’ll stay and talk to him, too.”
She nodded agreement. “First Jolene’s flat tires and now this? What does it mean? Who’s doing this?”
“I doubt the incidents are connected,” he said soothingly. Her mouth opened, then snapped shut and she looked away. She didn’t believe him. “Loni, is there something you’re not telling me?”
She didn’t answer, didn’t even seem to hear his question as she stared at the wall.
After a minute, she admitted, “Remember the van that almost hit us when you took Dee and I to the Lagoon?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“I think it was in town tonight.”
“Loni, there have to be hundreds of dark vans in this area. Besides all the tourists that drive through town.”
