Under Threat

by B. J Daniels

  Mary nodded. Suddenly she felt exhausted and just wanted to close her eyes.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll lock your apartment door, put the key back, lock up downstairs—after I get your phone. You just rest. You look like something the cat dragged in.”

  Even as sick as she was, Mary had to smile because she figured that was exactly what she looked like given the way she felt.

  Lucy started to step away from the bed, when Mary grabbed her hand. “Thank you again. You’re a lifesaver.”

  “Yep, that’s me.”

  Unable to fight it any longer, Mary closed her eyes, dropping into oblivion.

  * * *

  Lucy had taken her time earlier when she’d finished work. She’d casually crossed the street, whistling a tune to herself. There’d been no reason to hurry. She’d known exactly what she was going to find when she got to Mary’s office.

  Now as Mary closed her eyes, she stood over the woman, simply looking down into her angelic face. She didn’t have to wonder what Chase saw in Mary. She was everything Lucy was not.

  That was enough to make her want to take one of the pillows, force it down on Mary’s face and hold it there until the life ebbed out of her.

  She listened to Mary’s soft breaths thinking how Mary had it all. A business, a building in a town where she was liked and respected, not to mention rentals and Chase. Lucy reminded herself that she used to have a great profession, where she was respected, where she had friends. What was missing was a man in her life. Then along came Chase.

  With a curse, she shook her head and looked around the room as she fought back tears. The bedroom was done in pastel colors and small floral prints, so like Mary. She wondered what Chase thought of this room—or if he’d seen it yet. Not very manly. Nor was it her style, she thought as she left, closing the bedroom door softly behind her, and checked out the rest of the place.

  She’d been sincere about Mary’s decorating abilities. The woman had talent when it came to design and colors. It made her jealous as she took in the living room with its overstuffed furniture in bright cheery colors. Like the bedroom, there was a soft comfort about the room that made her want to curl up in the chair by the window and put her feet up.

  But with a silent curse, she realized that what she really wanted was to be Mary Savage for a little while. To try out her life. To have it all, including Chase.

  Shaking herself out of such ridiculous thinking, she left the apartment, leaving the door unlocked. As she put the spare key back, she told herself that it would come in handy in the future.

  Smiling at the thought, she headed downstairs to Mary’s office. It looked like any other office except for the large oak desk. The brick walls had been exposed to give the place a rustic look. The floor was bamboo, a rich color that went perfectly with the brick and the simple but obviously expensive furnishings.

  She would have liked an office like this, she thought as she found Mary’s cell phone on her desk and quickly pocketed it before picking up the woman’s purse. It felt heavy. She heard the jingle of keys inside. Slipping the strap over her shoulder, she went to the front door and locked it.

  Across the street she saw that the coffee shop was still busy and the other baristas were clearly slammed with orders. She wondered if anyone had seen her and quickly left by the back way again, turning out the lights behind her after locking the door. That’s when she realized that she couldn’t kill Mary here. She would be the first suspect.

  Once on the stairs, out of view of anyone outside or across the street, she sat down on a step and went through Mary’s purse. She found a wallet with photos of people she assumed must be relatives. Brothers and sisters? Cousins? Her parents?

  Friends? She realized how little she knew about the woman.

  There was eighty-two dollars in cash in the wallet, a few credit cards, some coupons... Seriously? The woman clipped coupons? Other than mints, a small hairbrush, a paperback and miscellaneous cosmetics there was nothing of interest.

  She turned to Mary’s cell phone.

  Password protected. Swearing softly, she tried various combinations of words, letters, numbers. Nothing worked.

  A thought struck her like a brick. She tried Chase. When that didn’t work, she tried Chase Steele. Nope.

  She had another thought, and taking the keys to the office, she went back inside. Turning on a small lamp on the desk, she quickly began a search. She found the list of passwords on a pull-out tray over the right-hand top drawer. The passwords were on an index card and taped down. Some had been scratched out and replaced.

  Lucy ran her finger down until she found the word cell. Next to it was written Homeranch#1. She tried the password and the phone unlocked.

  Quickly she scanned through contacts, emails and finally messages. She found a cell phone number for Chase and on impulse tried it, just needing to hear his voice.

  It was no longer in service.

  Surely he had a cell phone, not that she’d ever had his number. Wouldn’t he have given it to Mary though?

  She went through recent phone calls, and there it was. She touched the screen as she memorized the number. It began to ring. She held her breath. He would think it was Mary calling. He would call back.

  Lucy quickly hit the hang-up button but not quick enough. “Hello, Mary, I was just thinking of you.” She disconnected, wishing she hadn’t done that. He’d sounded so happy that Mary was calling him that she felt sick to her stomach.

  Just as she’d feared, he called right back. She blocked his call. He tried again. What if he decided to come check on Mary? This was the kind of mistake she couldn’t make.

  She answered the phone, swallowed and did her best imitation of Mary’s voice, going with tired and busy. “Working. Didn’t mean to call.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. Don’t work too late.”

  “Right. Talk tomorrow.” She disconnected, pretty sure she’d pulled it off. He wouldn’t question the difference in their voices since he’d called Mary’s phone. At least she hoped she’d sounded enough like the woman. Sweet, quiet, tired, busy. When the phone didn’t ring again, she told herself that she’d done it.

  Hurrying back upstairs, she picked up Mary’s purse from where she’d left it on the step on her way. Outside the third-floor apartment, she stopped to catch her breath. Putting Mary’s cell on mute, she carefully opened the door, even though she didn’t think Mary would be mobile for hours.

  An eerie quiet hung in the air. She stepped in and headed for the bedroom. The door was still closed. She eased it open. The room had darkened to a shadowy black with the drapes closed. Mary lay exactly where she’d left her, breathing rhythmically.

  Taking the cell phone, she stepped in just far enough to place the now turned off phone next to her bed. Then she left, easing the bedroom door closed behind her. The apartment was deathly quiet and growing darker. It no longer felt cozy and she no longer wanted to stay. Leaving Mary’s purse on the table by the door, she left, locking it behind her.

  It had been an emotional day, Lucy thought. She took the stairs down to her apartment, unlocked her door and, turning on a light, stepped in. The apartment was in stark contrast to Mary’s. While everything was nice, it was stark. Cold.

  “That’s because you’re cold,” she whispered as she locked the door behind her. “Anyway, it’s temporary.” But even as she said it, she was thinking that she should at least buy a plant.

  The apartment had come furnished right down to two sets of sheets and two throw pillows that matched the couch. Suddenly Lucy hated the pillows. She tossed them into the near empty closet and closed the door. Tomorrow was her day off. After she checked on Mary, she’d go into Bozeman and do some shopping.

  She needed this apartment to feel a whole lot less like Mary Savage. Now that she had Chase’s cell number, it was time for her to make him pay.

 
; Chapter 14

  Lucy tapped lightly at Mary’s door the next morning. Given how sick the woman had been the evening before, she thought she still might be in bed.

  So she was a little surprised when Mary answered the door looking as if she’d already showered and dressed for the day.

  “Oh good, you look like you’re feeling better,” she said.

  “Much. Thank you again for yesterday.”

  “Just glad I could help.” She started to turn away.

  “Do you ride horses?” Mary asked.

  Lucy stopped, taken aback by the question. She’d hoped to get close to Mary, befriend her, gain her trust and then finish this. She’d thought it would take more time. “I used to ride when I was younger.”

  “Would you like to come out to the ranch sometime, maybe on your day off, and go for ride?”

  “I would love to.” The moment she said it, she knew how dangerous it could be. Chase might show up. She’d managed not to come face-to-face with him. Even with the changes in her appearance, he could recognize her. They’d been lovers. Soul mates. He would sense who she was the moment they were in the same room.

  “Good,” Mary was saying. “Let’s plan on it. Just let me know what day you’re free. And thank you again for yesterday. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  Lucy nodded, still taken aback. “I’m glad I was here.” She took a step toward the door, feeling strangely uncomfortable. “Off to work,” she said as she walked backward for a few steps, smiling like a fool.

  Could this really be going as well as she thought it was? She couldn’t believe how far she’d come from that night in Arizona when she’d gone into the river. She had Mary Savage, the woman who’d stolen Chase from her, right where she’d wanted her. So why wasn’t she more euphoric about it? Her plan was working. There was no reason to be feeling the way she was, which was almost...guilty.

  The thought made her laugh as she crossed the street. Guilt wasn’t something she normally felt. She was enjoying herself. Maybe too much. She’d thought it would take longer, and she’d been okay with that.

  As she settled into work, she realized that she would have to move up her revenge schedule. She was starting to like Mary and that was dangerous. No way could she go on a horseback ride with her, and not just because she might run into Chase. She couldn’t let herself start liking Mary. If she weakened... She told herself that wouldn’t happen.

  But realizing this was almost over, she felt a start. She hadn’t given any thought as to what she would do after she was finished here. Where would she go? What would she do? She’d been so focused on destroying Chase and his cowgirl that she hadn’t thought about what to do when it was over.

  That thought was nagging at her when she looked up to find Chase standing in front of her counter. Panic made her limbs go weak. He wasn’t looking at her, but at the board with the day’s specials hanging over her head. Could she duck in the back before he saw her? Let the other barista wait on him?

  But Amy was busy with another customer. Lucy knew she couldn’t hide out in the back until Chase left. All her fears rushed through her, making her skin itch. She’d come so far. She was so close to finishing this. What would she do when he recognized her?

  He’d know what she was up to. He’d tell Mary. All of this would have been for nothing. Mary’s father was the marshal. It wouldn’t take long before he’d know about what had happened in Texas, about the suspicions that had followed her from town to town and finally to Big Sky, Montana. Once he saw through her disguise, and he would. Just like that and it would be all over. She wanted to scream.

  “Good morning,” he said, and finally looked at her.

  “Morning.” She held her breath as she met his blue eyes and gave him an embarrassed gap-toothed smile.

  He smiled back, his gaze intent on her, but she realized with a start that she saw no recognition in his face. It’s me, she wanted to say. The love of your life. Don’t tell me you don’t see me, don’t sense me, don’t feel me standing right here in front of you.

  “I hope you can help me. I want to buy my girlfriend the kind of coffee she loves, but I forgot what it’s called. She lives right across the street. I thought you might know what she orders. It’s for Mary Savage.”

  Girlfriend? “Sorry, I’m new.”

  “That’s all right. It was a shot in the dark anyway. Then I guess I’ll take one caramel latte and a plain black coffee please.”

  She stared at him for a moment in disbelief. She’d been so sure he would know her—instinctively—even the way she looked now. But there was no recognition. None.

  Fury shook her to her core. They’d made love. They had a connection. How could he not know her?

  “You do have plain black coffee, don’t you?” he asked when she didn’t speak, didn’t move.

  She let out a sound that was supposed to be a chuckle and turned her back on him. Her insides trembled, a volcano of emotions bubbling up, ready to blow. She fisted her hands, wanting to launch herself across the counter and rip out his throat.

  Instead, she thought of Mary and something much better. Ripping out Mary’s heart, the heart he was so desperately trying to win back.

  She made the latte and poured him a cup of plain black coffee. He handed her a ten and told her to keep the change.

  Thanking him, she smiled at the thought of him standing over Mary Savage’s grave. “You have a nice day now.”

  “You too,” he said as he left.

  She watched him go, still shocked and furious that the fool hadn’t known her. She promised herself that his nice days were about to end, and very soon.

  * * *

  It wasn’t until he was headed across the street to Mary’s office that Chase looked back at the woman working in the Lone Peak Perk. What was it about her...? He frowned until it hit him. Her voice. Even with the slight lisp and Southern drawl, the cadence of her voice was enough like Fiona’s to give him the creeps.

  He shuddered, wondering if he would ever be able to put the Fiona nightmare behind him. Yesterday he’d called Rick, and Patty had answered.

  “I’m so sorry about what happened with you and Fiona,” she’d said. “I just feel so sorry for her. I know it’s no excuse, but she had a really rough childhood. Her mother remarried a man who sexually abused her. When she told her mother, the woman didn’t believe her. That had to break her heart.”

  “Did she have anyone else?”

  “No siblings or relatives she could turn to. On top of that, her stepfather had three sons.”

  He had sworn under his breath “So they could have been abusing her too.”

  “Or Fiona could have lied about all of it. When her mother, stepfather and the three sons died in a fire, I had to wonder. Fiona could have been behind it. I wouldn’t put anything past her, would you?”

  “Or she could have lied about the sexual abuse and then been racked with guilt when they all died.”

  Patty had laughed. “You really do try to see the best in people, and even after the number she pulled on you. You’re a good guy, Chase. You take care of yourself.”

  He didn’t feel like a good guy. He’d made so many mistakes. Fiona for one. Mary for another. He couldn’t do much about Fiona, but he still had a chance to right things with Mary.

  Patty had put Rick on the phone. The news was the same. Fiona’s body still hadn’t turned up.

  “Some fisherman will find her downstream. It will be gruesome. A body that’s been in the water that long...”

  Chase hadn’t wanted to think about it.

  Like now, he tried to put it behind him as he neared Mary’s office door. He wanted to surprise her with coffee. He just wished the barista had known the kind of coffee she drank. Mary was helping him today with his search for a man with the initials J.M. She understood his need to find his father even
though there were days when he didn’t. Why couldn’t he just let it go? His mother apparently had forgiven the man if not forgotten him.

  For all he knew, the man could have moved away by now. Or his mother hadn’t used his real initials. Or... He shook off the negative thoughts. He would be spending the day with the woman he loved. Did it really matter if they found his father today?

  * * *

  As Chase came in the front door of her office, Mary saw him look back toward the coffee shop and frown. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  He started as if his thoughts had been miles away. “There’s a woman working over there. Lucy?”

  “I know her.” She took the coffee he handed her. Not her usual, but definitely something she liked.

  “She just reminded me of someone I used to know—and not in a good way,” he said.

  “She just started working at Lone Peak Perk only a week or two ago. Why?”

  He shook his head. “Just a feeling I got.” He seemed to hesitate. “That dangerous woman, Fiona, who I told you about from Arizona. Lucy doesn’t look anything like her, but she reminds me of her for some reason.”

  Mary shook her head. She really did not want to hear anything more about Fiona. “You do realize how crazy that sounds. I know Lucy. She’s really sweet. I like her. I rented one of my apartments to her. I’m sure she’s nothing like your... Fiona.”

  “She wasn’t my Fiona. Look, you’ve never asked, but I didn’t date for a long time after I left. I wasn’t interested in anyone else. That wasn’t why I left and you know it. If I hadn’t been drinking, if I hadn’t just picked up my mother’s ashes the day of the barbecue at my boss’s house...”

  Mary stood up. “I don’t need to hear this.”

  “Maybe you do,” he said, and raked a hand through his hair as he met her gaze. “It was one drunken night. I regretted it right away. She became...obsessed, manufacturing a relationship that didn’t exist. She must have stolen my extra house key and copied it. I came home several times to find her in my apartment. She knew I was in love with someone else. But that seemed to make her even more determined to change my mind.” He shook his head. “She wouldn’t stop. She tried to move some of her stuff into my apartment. Needless to say it got ugly. The last time I saw her...” He hesitated as if he’d never wanted to tell her the details about Fiona and she didn’t want to hear them now.