Deadly Memories

by Joanne Fluke

  “Great! Hold on a second and I’ll ask.” Jan turned to them with a grin. “Uncle Steve wants all of us to join him for dinner tonight. And he says he’ll get reservations at Lawry’s!”

  Nita shook her head. “Tell him thank you, but I cannot go. I am expecting a call from my brother. But you and your mother should go and not worry. I will stay here and take care of the puppy.”

  “Mom?” Jan turned to her with a hopeful expression. “Say yes . . . please? Lawry’s is my favorite restaurant in the whole world!”

  Maura hesitated. She’d already decided that she shouldn’t be alone with Steve, but Jan would be with them. And they were going to a restaurant, which was a public place.

  “Yes. I’d love to go to Lawry’s.” Maura nodded quickly.

  “Thanks, Mom!” Jan grinned, and turned back to the phone. “It’s all set, Uncle Steve. Nita can’t go, but Mom and I would love to. Should we meet you there, or what?”

  Maura tried to stay calm as Jan made all the arrangements, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling. She wasn’t sure why she was so excited. Perhaps Jan’s enthusiasm was contagious.

  “What sort of place is Lawry’s?” Maura asked the question just as soon as Jan had hung up the phone.

  “It’s super! Prime rib, the best you’ve ever tasted, and creamed spinach, and creamed corn, and big baked potatoes dripping with butter, and sour cream and chives. And English trifle for dessert. It’s massive food coma time, Mom!”

  “It sounds wonderful.” Maura laughed. “But I wasn’t really asking about the cuisine. I was thinking about what to wear.”

  Jan nodded. “Okay. Well . . . it’s a Southern California restaurant, Mom. That means you could go in jeans and a blouse if you wanted to, but most people at Lawry’s dress up a little more than that. We can go semi-formal, if you’d like.”

  “Perfect.” Maura smiled at her. “I’d better look over the clothes in my closet. There’s no time to shop for something new.”

  “No time to shop?” Jan poked Nita, and they both started to grin. “I don’t believe you said that, Mom!”

  “But why? It’s true. It takes days to find the perfect outfit.”

  “You design clothes, Miss Maura.” Nita laughed. “If you want something new, you just have to make a drawing, and they sew it for you.”

  Jan nodded. “And if you’re really in a time crunch, you go down to the boutique and pull something off the rack.”

  “You’re both right.” Maura started to laugh. “I forgot all about that.”

  “Why is it so important, Mom? It’s not like this is a big, important party. We’re just going out to dinner with Uncle Steve.”

  Maura tried to think of an answer. She didn’t want Jan to guess the effect that Steve seemed to have on her. But then she thought of the perfect excuse and she grinned as she spoke the words. “There’s a perfectly good reason why I want to look gorgeous tonight. This is the first time I’ve gone out, that I can remember, in over twenty-three years!”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  After the first bite of her prime rib, Maura had declared that Jan was right. Lawry’s prime rib was the best she’d ever tasted. Dinner had been fun, with lots of laughter, but Maura had felt herself begin to grow tense when they’d climbed into Steve’s car and headed back to the house. After such an enjoyable evening, it would have been rude not to invite him in for a drink, or another cup of coffee. So she had. And Steve had declined, pleading an early appointment in the morning. Maura chided herself as she climbed up the stairs to her bedroom. She had spent at least thirty minutes worrying about a problem that had never materialized, and still she wasn’t sure if she was relieved, or disappointed.

  Now Maura was in her bedroom, preparing for bed. She took one last glance in the mirror and smiled. Her dress was gorgeous: a dark green water silk with a deep vee neckline and a slim-line skirt that hugged her figure. She wore a heavy, gold necklace, shaped like shells, around her neck. It was a lovely piece of jewelry, and she’d found it in a velvet-lined jewelry box on the top shelf of her walk-in closet.

  Steve had smiled when he’d seen the necklace. And when she’d asked why, he’d told her its history. The necklace was an engagement present from Steve and Donna. They’d given it to her on the night they’d celebrated her engagement to Paul. Steve had seemed pleased to see it around her neck, and Maura was glad that she’d found the jewelry box and chosen to wear it.

  Maura unclasped the necklace and put it back in the jewelry box. The box was lovely and she placed it on the low table next to her bed. It was made of intricately carved teak wood, and it had three wide drawers, divided into compartments. It seemed vaguely familiar, and she hoped that she’d remember more about it if she left it out where she could see it.

  It didn’t take long to get ready for bed. Maura had just put on her robe and slippers when she heard a scratching at the door. During dinner, they’d decided on a name for the puppy. He was called Cappy, for Captain James Cook, the man who discovered Australia. It was clear that Cappy was living up to his famous name. They’d left him in his basket in the kitchen, but he’d managed to climb out and come upstairs to explore the rest of the house.

  Maura smiled as she opened the door and spotted the puppy. Cappy was sitting at the threshold, thumping his tail against the rug. His head was tipped to one side, giving him a quizzical look that Maura couldn’t resist. He squirmed and licked her hand as she scooped him up and brought him inside.

  “You’re a good boy, Cappy.” Maura scratched him behind his velvet-soft ears. “Nita told me you’re practically housebroken already.”

  The moment she put Cappy down on the rug again, he started to wander around her room. The footstool caught his attention, and he spent several moments sniffing its carved, lion’s paw feet. Then he headed for her walk-in closet and gave the interior a thorough inspection. He seemed especially interested in the racks that held her shoes, and Maura hoped that he wouldn’t be a chewer.

  After he’d finished with the closet, Cappy explored the bathroom. He seemed especially interested in the towels, but the racks were too high for him to reach. After he’d padded around the tiled shower for a moment, he raced back into the bedroom again, looking very proud of himself.

  “What do you think? Do you like my room?” Cappy sat up and tipped his head to the side again, wagging his tail. His comical expression made Maura laugh. “I’m glad you approve. But I think it’s time I took you back outside one last time before bed. What do you say about that?”

  Cappy stared at her for a moment, and then he raced for the bed. He squirmed under the dust ruffle, and peeked out at her, thumping his tail happily.

  “Come here, Cappy.” Maura sat down on the edge of her bed, and patted the coverlet. “You’re going to get lost under there.”

  But Cappy just squirmed under farther, making little panting noises. It was clear he wanted to play.

  “Oh, great!” Maura got down on her knees and reached for him. But Cappy retreated farther, staying just out of her reach.

  “Come on, Cappy. This isn’t a game.” Maura reached for him again. But she bumped her bed table with her arm, and the jewelry box fell to the floor, scattering the contents all over the rug.

  Maura gave up on the puppy. He’d have to wait. She righted the jewelry box and began to pick up the pieces of jewelry. She thought she’d found it all when she noticed that Cappy had come out from under the bed. He was playing with something that had rolled under the dust ruffle, pawing at it and attacking it when it rolled.

  “That’s quite enough of that!” Maura tried to sound stern, but there was laughter in her voice. Cappy was really a darling. She scooped him up in one hand, and reached for the object he’d been playing with. It was a ring, and she dropped it into the pocket of her robe.

  “Okay. Let’s go.” Maura held him firmly and headed for the door. “It’s time for a quick trip outside, and then you’re going to go to bed.”

  But Cappy
didn’t seem at all inclined to use the grass for the purpose that Maura desired. He wandered around, sniffing at bushes and attacking shadows, while Maura stretched out on a chaise lounge and watched him, amused.

  It was a warm summer night, and the skies were clear. Maura glanced up at the stars and frowned. She’d been expecting to see a night sky filled with brilliant stars, but the ambient light of the city made the stars seem dim. She knew she’d seen them much brighter, almost like diamonds floating on a deep, black velvet backdrop, so close she could almost reach up and touch them. But where? San Diego was also a large city with an ambient light. Was she remembering the night sky in Brawley, when she’d been a child?

  Maura smiled as she glanced around her backyard. It was truly lovely. There was a black-bottomed swimming pool, shaped like a grotto, with a Jacuzzi on the far end. It was surrounded by river rock, with ledges for sitting and sunning. Maura wondered if she’d spent much time in the pool. She’d have to ask Jan or Nita. She was sure she knew how to swim. If she remembered correctly, she’d learned as a child. But that had been at the community swimming pool, a rectangular, concrete structure filled with tepid water and screaming children. Her own private pool looked much more inviting. Maura closed her eyes, imagining how it would feel to slip into the midnight back water, shivering a bit as her body adjusted to the change in temperature, and then stroking across the surface to climb up on the rocks and . . .

  * * *

  She saw the man from her dreams, beckoning to her from the trees. His face was dappled with sunlight and he looked very handsome.

  “Nick! You’re back!” She could feel her body tremble in anticipation, and she knew she was smiling in delight. “We didn’t expect you until tomorrow.”

  “There’s a slight problem. We have to leave immediately. I brought your things. It’s not safe to go back to the house.”

  She swam strongly to the rocks and pulled herself from the water. She could feel the fear wash over her body in a giant wave. “Are they . . . all right?”

  “Yes. For now.” He wrapped her in a towel, and pulled her close, against his strong body. “They’re in the cellar, and they’ll head for the border as soon as it’s dark.”

  “Peter, too?”

  He shook his head, and gathered her a little closer. And then he started speaking in the foreign language she’d heard in her dreams. “No. Peter’s staying. He’s an old hand at this. He knows what to do. Now get dressed quickly. We’re running out of time.”

  The image jumped then, from the secluded forest glen to a hilly area, covered with trees and long grass. She could feel herself swaying rhythmically, bouncing up and down, and moving over the terrain with remarkable speed. She looked down to see that she was on horseback. Without a saddle! She must be an excellent horsewoman. She hadn’t even known that she could ride.

  She was wearing loose-fitting black pants with a black jacket buttoned tightly up to the neck. She rode low, close to the neck of her powerful horse, and she held the reins loosely in her hands.

  Hooves thundered loudly behind her. Someone was chasing her, but she didn’t panic. She smiled instead, sitting up a little straighter as he materialized beside her. It was Nick, the man she loved.

  He was smiling, too, and he gave her a jaunty little salute. “We’re almost there. It’s just over that next rise.”

  She nodded, too tired to speak. Somehow she knew they’d been riding for hours, pausing only to water their horses and rest them for the briefest time possible.

  They rode together, to the crest of the rise, and stopped to stare down at the small little village below. The houses were tiny, with multicolored roofs, and they reminded her of the houses from the Monopoly set she’d played with as a child.

  “Here. You’d better take this in case we’re separated.”

  He handed her a packet which she tucked into her pocket. Although she didn’t open it, she knew it contained papers, several important names, and a map. “Do you think that’ll happen? That we’ll be separated?”

  “Possibly.” He reached out to touch her cheek. “Let’s not borrow trouble. It hasn’t happened yet.”

  She nodded, but she felt a little frightened. She’d never been completely on her own before. He’d always been right there, watching her from around the corner, or down the street. Of course she knew what to do. She’d had excellent training. But the thought of being without him made her tremble slightly.

  “Hey . . .” He touched her cheek again. And then he gave her a reassuring smile. “Just remember who you are. That’s the important thing. And if you start to panic, start crying. No one expects a beautiful, hysterical woman to make sense. It’ll gain their sympathy and buy you valuable time.”

  “I won’t panic.” She held her head up high. “I’ve never panicked in my life. I’ve gone over this whole scenario so often, I could do it in my sleep.”

  “Good girl!”

  His smile was like sunshine, and she basked in it for a moment. And then the scene changed again, so quickly she almost opened her eyes in surprise.

  She was sitting on a stool in a small wooden hut, huddled in a scratchy blanket. The hut was made of rough-hewn logs with a stone fireplace in one corner. The night was chilly and she was shivering, even though there was a fire in the hearth. As she watched, the door opened and he came in, arms laden with firewood.

  “This should hold us for the night.” He dropped the firewood into a wooden box by the hearth, and smiled at her. “Are you still cold?”

  She nodded, and spoke past chattering teeth. “I’m absolutely frozen. I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold in my life!”

  “I think it’s just a case of nerves, and that’s not surprising after what happened today.” He pulled two straw pallets close to the hearth, and gathered a pile of woolen blankets. “Come over here by the fire. We’ll wrap up in these blankets. They’ll keep us warm.”

  Her legs were trembling as she walked to the hearth, and stretched out on one of the pallets. He covered her with a pile of blankets and then he slid under, next to her, and held her in his arms.

  “Is that better?”

  He looked concerned, and she smiled. “Much better. I wish we could stay here, forever.”

  “No, you don’t.” He laughed, and kissed her on the forehead. “The planks in this hut are chalked with a mixture of mud and manure. It smells very ripe on a hot day.”

  She laughed, a full laugh that bubbled out of her throat and rang merrily around the small space. It felt good to laugh after all that had happened, and she hugged him tightly. “Thanks, Nick. I needed that.”

  He laughed, too, and held her tighter. Then he leaned close and kissed her lips, claiming them as his own. She sighed as the kiss went on, blotting out the horror, making everything seem normal again. It was an intimate kiss, one she knew she’d never stop craving. It made her forget that they were in danger on this windswept hilltop, hiding like fugitives from the awful fate that had taken their friends.

  Now she was warm in the circle of his arms. Fear had left her, pushed away by the delicious sensation of his lips on hers. She was still trembling, but it wasn’t from cold or anxiety. Her trembling was caused by his warm fingers, stroking her back, and the way his tongue swept over the sensitive skin on her . . .

  Ankle? Maura’s eyes snapped open, and she sat up with a jolt. She could still feel a warm, wet tongue on her ankle, and she laughed as she realized that Cappy was licking her, trying to rouse her.

  “All right, Cappy. It’s time to go in.” Maura sat up and gathered him into her arms. He felt good, warm and soft and very cuddly, and when they got inside the kitchen, she almost hated to put him down. But his bed was right by the kitchen fireplace, and that was where they’d decided he’d spend his nights. A puppy needed his own place to sleep. She’d been very firm when she’d told Jan and Nita that he shouldn’t sleep upstairs in their beds.

  Cappy whimpered when she put him in his basket. It was such a mournful sound
that Maura almost cried. And when she tried to leave to go back to her room, he scrambled out of the basket and tried to follow her.

  “Okay, Cappy.” Maura put him back in the basket again. “I know you’re lonely without your mother, but I can fix that.”

  The bag of supplies was on the kitchen table. Nita had done the shopping Maura had asked her to do earlier. Maura took out the hot water bottle, and filled it with hot tap water. Then she wound the noisy, old-fashioned alarm clock she’d told Nita to buy, and wrapped everything in a big soft bath towel.

  “Here you go, Cappy.” Maura placed the towel inside the basket, and moved it close to the puppy. “This is nice and warm and it’s got a heartbeat, just like your mother.”

  Cappy cocked his head to the side, and looked up at her almost apprehensively. But he was curious about the strange package, and he nosed it for several moments. Then, as Maura watched with a smile on her face, he nestled right up to the towel-wrapped bundle, gave a little puppy sigh of contentment, and closed his eyes.

  Maura tiptoed out of the kitchen, and went softly up the stairs. She tapped on Jan’s door to tell her that Cappy was asleep, and then she went back to her own room. She was still upset about the daydream she’d had, but she supposed it was another figment of her imagination. After all, Steve had told her he didn’t think she knew anyone named Nick. She must be remembering a scene she’d watched in a movie. There was no other reasonable explanation.

  She was about to take off her robe and climb into bed when she remembered the ring in her pocket. She’d almost lost it once, when it had rolled under the bed, and she wasn’t about to lose it again.

  Maura reached into her pocket, took out the ring, and placed it on her bed table. Then she slipped out of her robe, got under the covers, and reached for the ring to examine it. It was a plain gold ring, and it was sized for a man. It was approximately a quarter inch thick, of good quality, but not terribly expensive. Was this the wedding band she’d given Paul on the day of their marriage? It would certainly explain why she’d hidden it away in the jewelry box on her closet shelf. Although she didn’t know Keith that well, she was sure no second husband would approve of a wife who kept her first husband’s wedding band in plain sight on her dresser.