“I feel like such a damn cry baby,” Sophie said through a mixture of laughter and tears.
“I was so worried about you,” Adam whispered as he gave her a tight hug. After a moment, Sophie pulled away and looked into Adam’s serious eyes.
He just stared for a moment before leaning closer and kissing her. Unlike the brief kiss on Tuesday afternoon, Adam reached up and took Sophie’s face between his palms, pouring out all the emotion he’d been feeling since she had disappeared. Her mouth opened for his and without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, returning his kiss with equal fervor. When Adam finally moved his lips from Sophie’s, he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.
“I was so damned worried about you,” he murmured.
“I’m okay Adam. Nothing really happened to me… I mean, he just drugged me… and I escaped.”
“Just drugged you?” Adam repeated with a sardonic chuckle.
Since Sophie’s disappearance, he’d experienced a myriad of emotions. When he learned Angela was missing and had reportedly followed Sophie to the parking lot, he feared the worse—Sophie was dead. But when he heard she had escaped and had been taken by a man, he feared she had been raped. Adam vowed to give Sophie whatever emotional support she needed. When he learned there had been no rape—no real physical damage done—relief flooded him, yet he understood the traumatic event might bring unseen harm to the young woman he had come to care about in such a relatively short time.
Another knock came at the door. Sophie jumped back, out of Adam’s embrace. Tony entered the room, followed by a nurse.
“Adam,” Tony greeted, giving him a brief nod before glancing at his daughter and noting her flushed expression.
“You can go now, Ms. Marino,” the nurse said. “I’ve a list of instructions here, and we’re giving you a prescription for a sedative to help you sleep.”
“Thank you, but I don’t need any sleeping pills.”
“Just in case you need them. I’ll meet you at the nurse’s station.”
“I don’t have my purse,” Sophie said when the nurse left the room.
“I found your purse in my car. The police went through it, and everything seems to be there. Kim has it.”
“How did it get in the car?” Sophie asked with a frown.
“We assumed you set it there, before that man abducted you,” Tony said.
“No. When I left the building to walk to the car, I ran into Fred. He told me to take the short cut to the parking lot; it was faster. He offered to show it to me. I never made it to the parking lot. I remember now, he put something over my mouth… and then I woke up in that storage room.”
“He probably put it in the car to make people think Angela took you there,” Adam suggested.
“Angela… The doctor said they were bringing her into the hospital. Have you seen her?”
“No,” Adam said.
“I suppose we can find out later what’s going on with her. Let’s get out of here!” Sophie said.
Just moments after leaving the examining room, Sophie’s question about the whereabouts of Angela was answered. Walking down the hall, in her direction was Joe Carter, pushing a wheelchair with Angela sitting in it.
Angela’s eyes widened the moment they set on Sophie.
“You!” Angela shouted, pointing at Sophie from her wheelchair. “You bitch! You left me with that maniac!”
Silently, Joe leaned over and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, urging her to calm down.
“No, Daddy. That bitch is going to pay for this!” Angela pushed her father’s hand away. Everyone at the nurse’s station turned to see what the commotion was all about. Protectively, Tony placed an arm around his daughter. Adam stepped in front of Sophie to shield her as they made their way down the hallway.
“It’s all your fault!” Angela screeched. “He was going to kill me because of you! And you just left me to die! If it’s the last thing I do, you’ll pay for this you bitch!”
“I’m sorry, Angela,” Sophie stammered. “I went for help. I told you I was getting help, and I did.”
“Don’t make excuses! You sorry piece of shit!” Angela shrieked.
“Adam, get her out of here. I need to go to the nurse’s station,” Tony said.
Adam ushered Sophie safely past Angela and into the front lobby, where Kim and Nick were waiting. Both gave Sophie a welcoming hug and expressed their relief that she was out of danger.
“Was that Angela I heard shouting?” Kim asked. “We saw them bring her in.”
“She’s furious at me for leaving her, and I can’t say I blame her,” Sophie said.
“If it wasn’t for you escaping, you’d probably both be dead by now,” Nick told her. “She should be thanking you.”
“I was just so afraid—and I didn’t really trust her. Fred told me he had to kill me first to make it look like Angela was the killer, so I figured he wouldn’t kill her as long as I was still alive.”
Tony rejoined his daughter and the group and then said, “I don’t understand any of this. Why would this Fred want to kill you, and why frame that girl? Who is she?”
“Maybe we can discuss this on the way back to the house,” Kim suggested. “Sophie looks like she’s anxious to get out of here.”
“You’re probably right,” Tony agreed.
“Are you coming over?” Kim asked Adam.
“It’s almost morning,” Adam said. “I imagine you’re all going to want to get some sleep. Sophie looks exhausted, and I bet she’s hungry.”
“I am hungry,” Sophie admitted.
“Well, don’t worry about that; I’ll get you something to eat when we get home.”
As they walked toward the exit, Adam noticed Sam Peterson standing by a squad car, talking to another officer. The moment Sam spied Sophie, he stopped talking and started walking toward her.
“They told me you were being released,” Sam said. “Glad to see you’re doing so well, but I think the doc was a little upset that you wouldn’t stay for observation.”
“I just wanted to get out of there. What happened with Fred?” Sophie asked. She stood next to her father who kept his arm protectively wrapped around her shoulder.
“He’s dead. We tried to take him alive, but we had no choice; it was either take him down or risk Angela’s life.”
“How is Angela? She was pretty angry with me.”
“Yes, yes she was. I think it would be a good idea if we discuss this tomorrow after you’ve had some rest. I understand you’re staying at Coulson House?”
“Yes, she is,” Kim answered.
“I know your father is anxious for you to get back to Portland, and I understand, considering the situation. But I’d appreciate it if you would stick around for a few days while we wrap up this case.”
“I wasn’t planning to leave right away. I have a room up at Clement Falls for three more weeks. Or did you mean you want me to stick around in Coulson?”
“Either is fine.”
After Sam Peterson excused himself and went into the hospital to check on Angela, Sophie told Kim, “I hate to be a bother.”
“Don’t be silly. But it would probably be best if you stayed at Coulson House for a few days, just until all this is worked out,” Kim suggested.
“And then we need to get back to Portland,” Tony chimed in.
“No Dad… I…”
“We can discuss this later, Sophie. In private.”
“Here’s our ride,” Kim called out when a black limousine pulled up in front of the hospital.
“A limo?” Sophie asked with a frown, stepping away from her father.
“It’s my grandfather’s,” Kim said with a shrug. “He thought it would be more convenient.”
“I’m going to say goodbye now,” Adam told Sophie. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll stop by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Please do,” Sophie said softly, looking up into Adam’s face.
&
nbsp; Adam glance over at Tony Marino, who was watching him. Instead of kissing Sophie on the mouth, Adam kissed her cheek and gave her arm a gentle squeeze.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some rest,” Adam whispered, before saying goodbye to the rest of the group and making his way to his own car.
“Angela should not be making threats, especially so publicly. Does she want to go back to jail?” Sam asked Joe fifteen minutes later. The two men sat in a quiet corner of the emergency room lobby.
“Can you blame her? The girl just left her there with Garcia. And you need to take into consideration what Angela’s been through. She was terrified. Of course she’s going to become emotional and say things she shouldn’t.”
“Had Sophie tried to free Angela, instead of seizing her one opportunity to escape, both of those girls might be dead now. And from what I understand, Fred was determined to kill Sophie first, so he could frame Angela. Killing Angela prematurely did not suit his plans.”
“That may be true, but Angela was tied up in that room for much longer, and now she has to stay here while Sophie got to go home.”
“I’m sorry about that, but Garcia used zip ties, and Angela’s struggling only made it worse. I have to admit it gave me a shock when I noticed the condition of her hands and feet. But didn’t the doctors tell you they thought she should be all right?”
“They’re hoping that’s the case. They were also concerned about blood clots since Garcia had her tied up and laying on her hands for so long.”
“I’m sorry she has to go through this, but you really need to talk her down regarding Sophie. You both need to understand Sophie was running on adrenaline herself. If Angela is serious about making a successful second chance, she has to get control of herself.”
“I’ll talk to her. She’s just upset now.”
“We found your car by the way. Garcia had it parked in the cemetery garage.”
“I figured that’s where he’d stashed it. Angela told me the last thing she remembers is starting to get into the car when Garcia walked up. He grabbed her and put something over her face.”
“She told me. We think it was homemade chloroform.”
“Do you have any idea why he grabbed the girls, why he wanted Sophie dead?”
“No. But I’ll be talking to her again tomorrow afternoon and trying to figure this thing out. In the meantime, try to get a handle on your daughter.”
Chapter 35
Sophie didn’t know what time it was or how long she’d slept, but the sun was up; she could see it peeking around the edges of the curtain. She wondered if her father was still sleeping. Kim had put him in the bedroom next to hers on the third floor of Coulson House. Tony and Sophie were the only occupants on the third floor, which was a little eerie, considering its size.
Her father was right; Kim’s home was not a house—it was a rambling mansion with more bedrooms than she ever imagined could be under the roof of a single residence. Stretching leisurely under the soft sheets and down comforter, Sophie was surprised at how well she’d slept—when she had finally made it to bed.
It had been hours since she’d eaten; they hadn’t given her anything at the hospital, just fluids. On the drive from the hospital to Coulson House, Sophie intended to immediately jump in the shower when she got to Kim’s home, yet that plan had changed when Kim led her into the kitchen and offered her food. Sophie was ravenous.
She wondered if all the bedrooms in Coulson House were as large as the ones given to her and her father. Each was the size of a master suite, and the two rooms shared one spacious bathroom. Hers had a fireplace. Kim had explained the room was directly over hers, and they shared a chimney.
According to Kim, the entire third floor had been decorated by her great grandmother, Mary Ellen Coulson. It was obvious the woman had not only worked with a professional decorator but had spared no expense from the priceless artwork to the antique furniture. From what Sophie had learned, the house had been built and decorated in the late forties, yet the décor seemed not of that era—but earlier. Sophie felt as if she had stepped back in time. There was no television in either bedroom, and while the rooms were rarely used, they were immaculate with no musty odor.
Hearing the bedroom door squeak as if someone was pushing it open, Sophie sat up and looked toward the door. The bedroom light was off, and though the dark curtains kept most of the light out, there was enough coming through to make it possible to see across the room—albeit not clearly.
“Dad, is that you?”
When there was no answer, Sophie started to lay back down, assuming she’d been hearing things, when she saw the door open—yet no one appeared to be there.
“That’s not funny,” Sophie called out.
She heard something running in her direction, a light pitter-patter, and then the intruder leapt atop her mattress and strolled toward her in a panther-like gait.
“And who are you?” Sophie laughed when she realized what had just invaded her bedchambers. It was a black cat who boldly walked up the comforter, over her body, making his way to her face, his purr loud and strong.
“I bet you’re Jake,” Sophie greeted, lying back on the pillow and allowing the cat to make himself comfortable on her chest. Her hand caressed the top of his head as he continued to purr, his eyes closed.
“Jake!” Kim scolded from the doorway.
“Oh, he’s fine.” Sophie laughed.
“I’m sorry. Did he wake you?” Kim walked into the room.
“No. I’ve been awake for about fifteen minutes. Just been lying here thinking.” Sophie sat up in the bed, inadvertently unseating Jake, who then strolled to the foot of the mattress and stretched out, making himself comfortable. Sophie leaned toward the side of the bed and turned on the small lamp sitting atop the mahogany nightstand.
“Jake loves to roam the third floor. I should have warned you to keep your door closed all the way. How did you sleep?”
“Surprisingly well. I would have expected to have nightmares at least, but I just crashed last night. I don’t know. Maybe I still had some of that stuff in my blood stream—considering I was out for hours yesterday.”
“We’re so relieved you’re all right.” Kim sat on the edge of the bed.
“You’ve all been very nice. I’m sorry I’ve been such an inconvenience.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re family, and anyway, none of this was your fault.”
“Thanks, Kim. You’re really sweet. Is my dad up? I don’t even know what time it is.”
“He’s been up for a while. He’s with my grandfather in the library. They seem to have hit it off. It’s almost noon.”
“Noon? Oh my gosh, that late?”
“Not when you consider what time you finally got to sleep. Anyway, you needed your rest. Whenever you’re ready, come downstairs, and we’ll get you something to eat.”
“Are you going to work today?”
“No, I can work at home. There’s no reason for me to go into the office. Nick had to go back up to Clement Falls—they’re expecting some guests in—but he’s coming back tonight.”
“That must be hard for you guys, going back and forth like that.”
“I love my job at Coulson Enterprises, and Nick enjoys the B and B and working with his father. For now, we’re juggling things, but I don’t see this as a long-term situation.”
“Thanks again for getting my clothes for me.”
“Actually, that was Uncle Garret and Alex. They offered to run up to Clement Falls when we went to the hospital to wait for you. We figured you’d want your things. Franklin got them together; we didn’t think you’d mind.”
“No, I really appreciated it. You have no idea how wonderful that shower felt last night. I’m just sorry they had to run up to Clement Falls so late in the evening.”
“That’s okay. We were all awake anyway. Who could sleep? Everyone was over here—Alex, Garret, Russell, Kate, and the girls. And of course Adam and then your dad, when he got in. Y
ou might say we were holding a vigil for your safe return. Adam was so worried about you.”
“Adam is a very sweet guy.”
“Yes, he is.”
“I feel so bad that he has someone like Angela lurking in the background, ready to cause him trouble, and there doesn’t seem to be anything he can do about it.”
“Oh, yes… Angela. She is a peach. Last night, before we knew what happened to you, all of us were convinced Angela had taken you somehow. Both she and her father’s car had virtually disappeared from the cemetery around the same time as you. Adam told us all about Monday night when you woke up to Angela in your room at his house. Of course, none of us thought it was a dream when we talked about it, considering we assumed Angela had taken you. What do you think now? Do you think it really happened?”
“It felt very real. Not like a dream. And I suppose that’s one reason I took off last night without her. Something in my gut told me not to trust her. I was already so terrified; I just wanted to get away from there. But I do feel horrible about leaving her.”
“I don’t blame you. Unfortunately, Angela does not have a short memory. But at least she’ll be out of commission for a few days.”
“What do you mean?”
“Grandfather called Sam Peterson this morning. Apparently, they checked Angela into a regular hospital room for observation. She has some complications from being bound so tightly and laying on her arms for so long.”
“Now I really feel guilty.”
“Don’t. Angela didn’t feel any guilt when she ran my real estate agent down or when she tried to frame Adam for murder.”
“I imagine this thing with Angela—her yelling at me last night—is going to make my dad even more insistent I go home with him. Last night, before we went to bed, he told me he felt it would be best if I cut my trip short and returned to Portland.”
“Do you think you will?”
“I don’t know. I want to stay in spite of Angela.”
Coulson's Reckoning Page 21
