Shadows of the Past

by Frances Housden

  Her first reaction was to get hold of Franc.

  “Kathy instructed me to pack up all my research notes and take them to the Mile-a-Minute agency on the next corner to be delivered to Stanhope Electronics,” she told Franc over the phone. “She said the agency was expecting me and would deliver the notes straightaway.

  “I agreed, I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “You did well, hon. Randy has obviously conned Kathy into helping him.”

  Maria’s shoulders sagged as she let out a sigh. “I was certain the call wasn’t legitimate, certain that if you’d wanted the research notes, you would have collected them yourself.”

  “You know me too well, Maria. I wouldn’t have been able to resist collecting a little sugar at the same time.”

  “What now, Franc? Do you want me to follow her instructions?”

  It didn’t matter if it was a setup, or that she was sure Randy would be waiting for her…if Franc asked, she would do it. She would screw up the courage she’d used to gate-crash the party, especially if it meant ridding her life of Randy Searle, and the nightmares he’d brought back, once and for all.

  Chapter 16

  His mate Brent had been in Franc’s office when he received the call from Maria. The moment she mentioned Kathy’s name, the memory of the technician playing tongue tag with Searle meant it didn’t take a leap of faith to be certain she was in collusion with the guy.

  “What did Maria want?”

  Franc told him before he made for the door. For now, he had to rely on Brent to take care of Kathy Gilbertson, plus do what he could to discover her part in Searle’s scheme.

  After all he’d done to make interpersonal relationships congenial, and Stanhope Electronics a place where employees enjoyed working, it burned to think he had not one but two traitors on his staff.

  Stopping briefly on the way out, he checked with the receptionist and discovered that, as he’d thought, Searle hadn’t turned up for work.

  Did the guy suspect they were onto him? Was that why he’d conned Kathy into doing his dirty work? And had the news that Maria had come looking for Searle at the party somehow gotten to the guy’s ears? Hell, why didn’t it make sense?

  If Searle had threatened him by sending those photos to Maria, then yes, he definitely knew of the connection. There had to be more to it. Were the research papers simply to get Maria out of the office or did he have an interest in them as well?

  Damn, he didn’t have time to work it all out. His mind was going round in circles, one thought chasing another without coming to a conclusion that made any sense. He would take it to the experts and call Rowan.

  That done, he thanked God he’d told Maria not to leave Tech-Re-Search until she knew he was close at hand. Sure, Rowan was going to alert the security team member keeping watch over her. That didn’t mean Franc was going to sit back and leave her safety to the professionals.

  But his mind wouldn’t leave it alone; he wished he could figure out what Randy was up to. Was this a way of getting back at him? Instead of killing him, he thought he could kill his career? Yeah, sure, he must know the research was replaceable. That there would be copies. It just didn’t gel.

  Franc flashed a quick glance at the clock on the dash. Less than five minutes and he’d be in the vicinity, provided of course he could get parking within a few blocks of Tech-Re-Search.

  He picked up cell phone to give Rowan a progress report; and make sure his brother-in-law had given his security team the heads up, the one who should be tailing his car, as well as the one watching Maria. Hell, wouldn’t you know it? The damn situation was turning into a game of follow the leader.

  “I’m almost there,” he said when Rowan answered.

  “Jo’s beaten you to it. She’s across the street from Maria’s office and I’m a couple of blocks away, walking. It’s no distance for Jo. Auckland Central is practically on Maria’s doorstep.”

  “No excuse necessary, but you might have told me this was turning into a family affair.” He ought to be reassured, yet Franc couldn’t stop a wry twist shaping his lips. This whole stalker business looked to be turning into a slapstick farce.

  No way was Searle going to get away with his plans. Franc tightened his one-handed grip on the wheel the way he’d imagined gripping the scruff of Searle’s neck, wishing he knew what the bastard had up his sleeve.

  Rowan was breathing hard when he answered. Franc could imagine him hurrying uphill from the Viaduct where the yacht was berthed. “You didn’t really think I would let you go after Searle alone? I have a stake in the outcome, as well. Bottom line, the guy works for me, and the research that’s been asked for is Stanhope property. But if we cut away the crap, Jo would kill me if I let anything happen to you.”

  “Nice to know someone cares, even if it’s for a secondhand reason.” The words were hardly out of Franc’s mouth when he caught sight of a parking spot opening up. “Gotta go, I’m on Hobson Street. Catch you soon.”

  When Tech-Re-Search was in sight, Franc called Maria from a shop doorway, downhill and on the other side of Wellesley Street.

  It took three minutes for her to appear, minutes he sweated, knowing he was asking a lot of her. Hell, she could have downright refused and he wouldn’t have blamed her. Maria had a lot of guts for a woman who’d been to hell and back again. If she didn’t remember the nightmares she had in the night, he couldn’t get them out of his mind, or forget the feel of her in his arms as he hushed her back to sleep.

  If anything happened to her because of him, the Costello family couldn’t lay any more blame his way than he would himself. The agony of prospective loss surged through him. Was she carrying his cell phone? Should he call her to urge her to turn around and go back to her office?

  As if to steer him back on track, Searle stepped out of the doorway no more than fifteen meters from Maria. Though if he hadn’t been focused on the guy he might not have recognized him out of his salesman’s uniform of dark suit and tie. Today Searle had pulled on black jeans and sweatshirt and topped the outfit off with a cap, pulled low over his eyes, but his walk gave him away. Franc would recognize that swagger anywhere. All he could do now was keep Maria safe, as he’d been trying to do since she’d first told him about Searle stalking her.

  So far so good. Franc began shortening the gap between him and the other two by striding up the sidewalk as soon as he saw Searle quicken his pace. Damn, what had made him think being on this side of the street was a good idea? He would have to get across to the other side as soon as possible; even from this expression on Searle’s face said “take no prisoners.”

  The lights at the intersection below him turned red and the traffic slowed as he cut between two parked cars, his eyes on Searle. He watched him close the distance, ten meters, five, time to make a move.

  But Franc hadn’t noticed the bus careering down the hill. He jumped back into the protection afforded by the other cars as it slowed down in a squeal of air brakes, blocking his view.

  Wasn’t it always the damn way? What the hell was happening across the street? He dodged behind the bus, praying as he ran that the next lane was clear. It wasn’t. He let two cars grind up the slope, slowed by lack of momentum.

  The moment he saw Searle’s hands reach for Maria, he went for it, arm outstretched, palm raised to the car coming at him and a look on his face that said don’t mess with me.

  Maria found it hard keeping her eyes forward, when all her senses screamed to look around for Randy, yet she didn’t dare in case it meant giving the game away. With each step she took, the foot hitting the sidewalk felt heavier than the last.

  What was it about her life that it became cataclysmic without the least little push from her?

  For all that her goal for the last few months had centered on being like everyone else, like Tess and Linda, a normal woman, with normal relationships, look where she’d landed.

  And for all she’d summoned the courage to gate-crash a party so she could confront Ra
ndy Searle, the moment the back of her began prickling again, Maria knew she wasn’t really cut out for this cops-and-robbers lark.

  Tires squealed and horns blared. The acrid smell made her feel queasy; at least it was something to blame for her stomach churning. As she looked into the roadway to see which car was tearing up the pavement, she caught a quick glimpse of Franc dodging between a delivery truck and a car in the middle of the road.

  She froze on the spot, stumbling forward as someone bumped into her behind and the parcel went flying from her hands.

  “Oops, sorry. Here, let me get that for you” came an apology and a young guy in black bent forward to retrieve her parcel just as the crush of people from the Walk Now signal surged uphill toward her.

  “That’s okay I could have managed,” she stumbled, one eye keeping a lookout for Randy as she reached out to take the courier pack.

  Although a cap shaded his eyes as the guy stood up, something about the jut of his chin and the determination etched on his lips shouted Randy, and she froze for an instant, shouting “Give that back” as she recovered her wits.

  For her trouble she received a push with the flat of his hand on her chest that sent her reeling. Unfortunately, there was no one behind her to soften her fall.

  Her momentum sent her hurtling back to land on the sidewalk. Elbow first she hit the paving. Pain, hot and blinding ricocheted up her arm and into her shoulder. She thought she’d pass out, or be sick as her stomach rushed up to meet her throat.

  Incensed, she kicked out, aiming a shoe at his ankle in an effort to tri, but he was too wily. Dancing back from a princess heel that wasn’t nearly as lethal as she’d like, he darted into the traffic in a clash of shouts and curses not a yard away from Franc.

  People passing, gawping, made no more impression than a blur of color in her peripheral vision. Inside her space, time stood still. The rest of the world spun around her as Randy dodged into the other pedestrians, but his unhindered passing didn’t go unnoticed. Somewhere in her mind rang the word, cowards!

  God, why had she put all her work in the pack when plain copy paper would have done as well?

  Stupid! Stupid!

  She shouldn’t have gone along with this harebrained scheme. The plot had been hatched in far too much haste.

  Suddenly, Maria realized for all her anxieties, the stalking hadn’t been about her, but her research.

  Footsteps thundered down the sidewalk toward her.

  “Out of the way!” She recognized the voice, Rowan. Randy was gone. Didn’t he realize he hadn’t a chance? Franc must have crossed the street by now.

  Four-inch stilettos would have done the trick, she decided, and closed her eyes against the pain and the knowledge that there were people standing around looking at her. Would it have hurt them to help her up?

  Franc and Rowan reached her before her pity party could get up steam. For a second, they both looked down from miles above her, then Franc knelt. “Are you okay, hon? Where does it hurt.”

  She’d barely time to gasp a breath, never mind answer, when Rowan told Franc, “You look after Maria. Jo’s still on Searle’s tail and I’m damned if I’m going to let the bastard get away with this.” He took another look at Maria as Franc helped her sit up. “Don’t worry, he’ll pay for what he did to you.”

  Rowan raced off as Franc ran his hands over her. “Where does it hurt worst? Do you think anything is broken?”

  She sucked up the pain. “My dignity, then my elbow, but I don’t think either of them are permanently damaged.” Her effort lasted until Franc rubbed her elbow, then she winced. Her moan escaped as she began to take her bearings and discovered that the crowd still hadn’t moved away. “Get me out of here, big guy, and I’ll be your slave for life.”

  She watched him frown, knew he was worried about her, and that gave her the courage to laugh. “It’s okay, my dignity took the worst beating and it won’t get better until I’m outta here.”

  Franc stared at a dozen or so openly curious eyes and whispered, “Ghouls…bet they’re disappointed there’s no blood.”

  He helped her to her feet, but once there, it was as if he didn’t give a damn about who was watching. He pulled her into his embrace. “God, I’m sorry, hon, I didn’t mean you to get hurt. I’ll take you back to work, or would you rather go home?”

  “Work. I may be smaller than you but I’m no delicate flower.”

  He cupped her face between his huge palms and kissed her hard, putting his heart into as if in defiance of the stares and titters. “I hope they catch up with Searle soon and give him more than a few bruises.”

  “I tried…but he dodged my feet.” His kiss had left her breathless, yet hopeful because of the feelings Franc had poured into it. She didn’t want to give this up. How could he?

  “You’re a goddamn heroine, Maria Costello.” Franc took her uninjured arm to keep her steady, but as he looked over his shoulder in the direction Rowan had taken, she realized he was still feeling antsy over Randy’s escape. She supposed it was a man thing, wanting to be in on the kill.

  “Go after him, I’ll be all right.”

  For the first time since they’d met, she caught a hint of indecision in his expression. Lifting her hand to push him away hurt more than the pain in her elbow. She’d been wrong it had been the relief that she’d tasted on his lips. Relief that now Randy would be caught, their brief fling was over.

  She was losing him.

  Grasping at any straw to fend off her somber thoughts, she was relieved to hear someone calling her name, “Maria. Whatever happened, my dear?”

  She looked up the hill as the chaplain squeezed down past the gawpers to reach her side. “Someone knocked me down and stole the courier pack I was carrying. I’m a little shaken, but not really badly hurt.”

  “Thank goodness for that.”

  The moment the idea popped into her head, she turned to the chaplain. “Would you mind walking me to my office? I know Franc is dying to go deal with the guy who hurt me, but he doesn’t want to leave me alone.”

  “Of course, it’s not a problem. I was going in your direction anyway. Here, take my arm.”

  She gave Franc a push. “Go on, Franc, go. You know you want to. I’ll be fine with the chaplain.”

  He hesitated, looked from one to the other until the chaplain assured him, “She’s in good hands, my son. Don’t worry, I’ll take excellent care of Maria.”

  “Thanks, Chaplain.”

  He turned to Maria and bent over to give her a peck on the forehead. A peck this time, for goodness’ sake, as if she was his little sister. He’d never been content with anything less than a full-blown, mouth-to-mouth, tongue-wrestling kiss since the first night she’d met him. Romance had gone out the window when business was at stake.

  “Maria, I’ll call soon, hopefully with news that we’ve got the bastard locked up.” Franc raised his eyebrows to the chaplain as if in apology for the curse word. A second later, he took off after his brother-in-law.

  The chaplain reached between the two people he’d brushed aside earlier and made room for Maria to pass, saying benignly, “It’s all over now, people. God bless. You can safely go on your way knowing no one got hurt.”

  Doing the polite thing was the furthest from Maria’s needs, but when they reached Tech-Re-Search, she asked the chaplain inside for coffee. Guilt scored a hit square on her solar plexus as he cused himself, “Another time, my dear. I’ve a lot of work ahead of me today.”

  What right had she to feel so relieved. The chaplain had shown her nothing but kindness. Driven by that thought, she pushed open the plate-glass door and gave him an open invitation, “Well, I insist that you make it soon. You’ve been so kind, and I want to repay all your goodness.”

  “I’ll look forward to the coffee, the ministry runs on it. That and tea,” he joked. “I’m sure we’ll meet again soon, considering the way we seem to keep bumping into each other.”

  Inside, Maria closed the door to her office
without mentioning what had happened to a soul at Tech-Re-Search.

  Sighing, she leaned her back against the door as if barricading it to give herself time to reflect, time to put her life in perspective now that Randy was surely on his way to Auckland Central lockup. Not for a minute did she doubt that Rowan and Jo had caught him before he’d run too far.

  She felt more troubled and less sure about her and Franc. Had time caught up with them at last? With Randy locked up, he had no need to feel concerned that a guy employed by him was stalking her. She ought to feel relief that Randy Searle was taken care of at last. With him out of her life, surely the shadows of the past that kept sneaking up on her in her dreams would gradually fade away again, only to bother in times of stress. Maria willed herself to shrug off the feelings of melancholia. So, it would take her a while to get over Franc?

  She’d gone into the game knowing it had a stopwatch counting down the seconds. And even though she’d never forget him, he had given her something she’d never had before, confidence in herself as a woman.

  Oh, he would call, and maybe he would chat about what had happened, and then he would take her research and bury himself in work. She could see it coming, heading toward her like a runaway train, but she wouldn’t step in front of it and send her life into limbo as her parents had done last time.

  She was a big girl now. Franc had warned her from the very beginning that work was what he lived for. The sex had just been an opportunity to while away a couple of weeks. To play.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and her fists into tight balls. The pain in her elbow as she pressed hard against the door was as nothing to the pain in her heart. Laughter escaped her lips; a harsh dry sound that tore from her lungs and sliced her throat with its sharp edges, for she knew the laugh was on her.

  Maria Costello had found love in the wrong place and with the wrong guy, and didn’t have enough experience to know what to do to mend her problem.