by E B Corbin
"I'm so sorry I brought this mess on you." Roxanne balled her hands then opened them. "Believe me, if I had any idea what would happen, I'd have stayed at a motel."
"Stop it." Kate dismissed her concern with a flip of her head. "Pete's a cop. I'm no stranger to trouble. I live with it every day. If it weren't for Jonathon, I'd jump right in to help."
"You're doing more than enough already." She sighed. "We're fortunate to have you in Oilville."
"Sometimes I feel like I've betrayed Paul by moving out of the city he loved, but I still don't regret making the move. Is that terrible of me?" Kate poured herself a cup of tea.
"No-- it was a brave thing to do. I can't imagine what you must have gone through," Roxanne said. "It makes my problems seem so, I don't know...trivial."
"Trivial? Not in the least." Kate poured tea into another cup and handed it to her. "Sit down and relax. Wearing a hole in the carpet isn't going to solve anything."
Roxanne gave Kate a weak smile. "You're right. I'm overreacting."
"You're just too wound up to think logically." Kate pointed to the chair closest to the fireplace. "Sit."
Ron came back and took up his position against the mantle. "I checked all the doors and windows on the ground floor. Hope you don't mind, Kate, I checked your apartment, too. But I was careful not to disturb your son. He's sleeping peacefully with his light saber and some sort of stuffed animal that looks like a deformed teddy bear."
"That's Chewbacca." Kate grinned at the agent. "Jonny just discovered the Star Wars movies and I've had to catch him up on all the newest toys."
"Now that you mention it, I guess there is a resemblance."
Roxanne sat sipping her tea, wondering how they could discuss movies at a time like this. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a car motor roar up the street.
On shaky legs, she hurried to the window and eased back the curtain to peek out. The noisy vehicle had disappeared; the street was peaceful once more. She scanned the parked cars to check on the blue van.
"The van's gone." She dropped the curtain and turned to Ron. "Shouldn't they have called us to let us know what's happening?"
"They will, don't worry." As he finished speaking, the sound of a key turning in the front door made them freeze.
She didn't know it was possible to add to her tension, but her heartbeat sped up and her muscles tightened. Ron straightened, resting his hand on the gun in his shoulder holster. Kate fumbled her teacup.
Then Pete walked into the room followed by the others.
"What happened?" Kate asked as she jumped up.
"It didn't go off as planned," he said. "They either saw us coming or they're really lucky. They took off just as we rounded the corner."
Roxanne's gaze swept over the agents in the room. Could one of them have called or texted to warn the guys in the van? They all seemed disgusted that their trap
hadn't worked, so she dismissed the thought.
"Shit," Roxanne muttered. "So they're in the wind once more."
"For now." Callahan blew on his hands to warm them. "If they try to follow you again, we'll be ready for them."
"Wonderful." She said, unable to hide her disappointment. "Now they know where I'm staying and can find me any time they want."
"But they don't know that Tiffany is here." Callahan moved closer to the warmth of the fire. "And they don't know that Pete is a cop. It won't be that easy to get to you."
"I guess we'll find out," she said with a sigh. "But I'm not sitting around twiddling my thumbs waiting for their next move. I'm going into the office tomorrow. I've dumped too much on Sylvia as it is. Since the boat's destroyed, there's nowhere for me to drop the ransom money. I'll get some work done and then I'll find a motel."
"You're not going into the office alone. I'll go with you," Callahan said. "And it would be foolish to move to a motel with Tiffany and Pete staying here."
"But..."
"No buts about it," Kate said. "You'll stay here. With all these trained law enforcers, it's the safest place for you."
"But maybe not for you. I should leave." She tried to convince Kate. "At least until we find Roxy...if we find her."
"We'll find her." Callahan's strong assertion did little to reassure Roxanne.
"Eventually, I'm sure." She didn't want to think about whether it would be too late for her mother to be saved. Better to hope Roxy would find some way to escape. "I don't mean to come across as ungrateful and selfish."
"We've had a pretty rough day." Callahan turned to Gabe. "Did you check into a motel yet?"
"Oh, they can stay here," Kate said. "I have one more finished room and it happens to have twin beds."
"That would be great." Gabe brightened at the prospect. "You sure it wouldn't be any trouble?"
"None at all. The room's made up and ready to go." Their hostess gathered the teapot and cups.
"All of you staying here will make coordination easier," Callahan said as he eyed Roxanne. "And certainly make it a lot safer." He swiveled to Kate. "You're a lifesaver. I'll stop by in the morning and go with Roxanne to the office. You three, see what you can find out from DC. See what Taggart's up to and check on any new developments from Interpol."
"Well, that's it then." Kate stacked another cup on the tray and balanced it with both hands. "I'm afraid you will have to excuse me; I need to get some sleep. Six year olds get up early. My brother can pass out the room keys."
Pete followed her into the hall and grabbed two keys from the hooks on the far wall. He gave Kate a kiss on the cheek and returned to the parlor. "I'll show you to your rooms."
Tiffany, Gabe and Ron grabbed the duffels from the entry hall and followed Pete up the stairs leaving Roxanne alone with Callahan.
"You don't need to come to the office with me tomorrow." Roxanne felt like a kid, not allowed to do anything on her own.
Callahan broke his gaze from the fire. "I'm coming. Besides, I need to see what kind of an operation you have if I'm going to join you and Sylvia when I'm able to get free."
His response surprised her. She knew that Sylvia had asked them both for help, but she assumed that Callahan was only appeasing Sylvia when he agreed to join her. Roxanne gave up the idea of working with Callahan when he disappeared for six weeks without a word. "Of course we do. Sylvia has big plans and Henry Oldinger can't continue his practice much longer. He's gotta be in his eighties. When he's gone, without you here, I'll be the only lawyer in town."
"Speaking of old men, I should get back to Chester's." Callahan clapped his hands once. "I'll be around first thing in the morning. I feel left out with everyone else staying here."
"I thought you were the boss. You don't want to stay with the sheep, do you?"
"Depends on who they are." Callahan eased Roxanne into his arms and lowered his lips to hers for a kiss that radiated warmth throughout her body. As her mouth opened to his, she felt herself relax for the first time that day. She wanted to meld into the protectiveness of his strong chest and remain that way forever. Since she knew it wasn't an option, she reluctantly ended the contact.
"Try to stay out of trouble." He headed for the door without looking back.
Alone in the parlor, Roxanne looked around in vain for Puka. She finally found him curled in a doggie bed in the kitchen, sound asleep. Unwilling to disturb him, she left the room while his soft, doggie snores continued uninterrupted. Tomorrow she would discuss Puka's sleeping arrangements with Kate. Much as she would like the dog in her room, it made sense to have a four-legged guard close to the point of entry should someone try to break in.
The fire's dying embers told her it was time for sleep. She tip-toed up the stairs and slipped into her room. As she looked around at her meager belongings, the impact of her loss brought sudden tears to her eyes. Was this what her life had been reduced to-- these few things? As she changed into her new pajamas, she decided to stop moping about all she had lost and be grateful for the fresh start she would get with the help of her
friends.
She climbed into bed, expecting to toss and turn most of the night. Within five minutes, she was fast asleep. When she opened her eyes again she found the room filled with sunlight.
The queen-size bed proved to be comfortable and firm enough to give her the most restful night she'd had since before Roxy showed up on her doorstep--a doorstep that no longer existed. She could get used to this room. It was certainly big enough: two rooms turned into one by knocking out a wall. A loveseat faced a flat screen tv; a desk and an inviting window seat filled the rest of the space. It would be a pleasant place to stay while she got her life back on track.
Not until she stepped out of the massaging shower did she realize she had not purchased any clothes appropriate for work. Jeans and a sweater would have to do. Hopefully she could get into Pittsburgh for some additions to her wardrobe before too long.
She needed to see her parents, too. Even though they weren't her birth parents, they'd raised her and she loved them. She didn't want them to feel superfluous in her life. Of course, the latest developments would only upset them and she wanted to avoid that. Time enough to update them when this was over.
The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee greeted her as she entered the kitchen. Kate stood at the counter while Jonathon wolfed down pancakes and bacon. Puka sat at Jonathon's feet, hoping for some droppings. Something else Roxanne could get used to--breakfast waiting when she came downstairs. Although she could cook if absolutely necessary and people often complimented her meals, she hated every minute of the preparation--the shopping, chopping and mixing. Living with someone who didn't mind kitchen duty was her idea of heaven.
"Morning," Kate greeted her with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"
"Perfectly. I may become a permanent tenant."
"Does that mean that Puka can stay, too?" Jonathon piped up while stuffing more pancake into his mouth.
"What did I tell you?" Kate admonished her son.
"Sorry," Jonathon mumbled then remained silent through several exaggerated chews. After he swallowed with a melodramatic gulp, he continued, "Well, does it? Puka can stay?"
"We'll see," Roxanne didn't want to get the boy's hopes up. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. But we'll be here for a while longer, anyway."
"Great!" he cheeped.
"Finish your pancakes," his mother said. "You're going to be late for school."
Roxanne looked around, surprised none of the others were in the kitchen. "Am I the first one up?"
Kate laughed. "Hardly. They're all in the dining room. They turned it into some sort of control center."
"They didn't wait for Callahan?"
"He's the one who commandeered the dining room. He's been here since seven. There's coffee and a buffet in there, help yourself. I have to get this little guy to the school bus."
The dining room had been transformed. A whiteboard stood at the far end, filled with a timetable and a list of events. Her name stood front and center, with lines leading outward to Erie, Roxy's cabin and the house in town that was now reduced to ashes.
From each location several secondary lines ended in different names--her own, the McCarthy brothers, Conor's, and Niall's brother Tommy's name. The latter had a line drawn through it, showing he was out of action. She supposed the diagram made sense to whoever had drawn it up, but it seemed kind of random to her.
She stepped back to see if it made more sense from a distance. It still looked confusing and she didn't appreciate seeing her name scrawled so predominantly.
Callahan looked up from his phone. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty. You decided to join us."
"I forgot to set the alarm." Roxanne hated having to defend her need for sleep but hid her irritation. "I didn't realize we had a meeting scheduled so early."
"No time to waste." Tiffany dropped a half-eaten donut onto a napkin. "We actually have eyes on those six guys who came in from Canada."
"Really? You mean you didn't lose them yet?" Roxanne blurted before she could control her mouth. Something about that agent brought out the worst in her. "Where are they?"
"They stayed in a small motel just outside of Allegheny National Forest last night." Pete jumped into the awkward silence following her dig at the others. "According to the map, there are several routes leading in our direction. We think they're going to join up with those two in the van. It will take them a couple of hours to get here from their present location but so far, they seem to be holed up in the motel."
"Ron and Gabe are going to check out the cabins around that area. They could be holding Roxy somewhere close by. It's a long shot-- Allegheny National Forest is huge-- but we can't ignore the possibility," Callahan said. "Pete and Tiff are going to stay in town in case we need them."
"Seems like you have it covered." Roxanne smiled at everyone and knew she had to apologize for her remark. "Sorry for my sarcasm. I know you're all doing your best. It can't be easy and I could never do your jobs. Thank you all for the help."
Her words eased the tension but she still couldn't wait to slip away. "If you don't need me for anything, I'm going to the office as soon as I have some coffee."
"The pancakes are really good," Gabe spoke up with a smile as he cleaned up his plate. "I won't mind staying here for the duration. It sure beats some dingy motel."
"I know what you mean. Kate has done an excellent job with the B&B. But I don't think I can eat anything right now," Roxanne told him. "If I find my strength flagging, Sylvia usually has donuts at the office." She gulped some coffee and went to retrieve her coat. Callahan grabbed her arm and swung her around. "Where're you going?"
"To the office?" Roxanne put on an innocent face.
"We'll take my car," he said.
"But don't they need you here?"
"They got it covered."
She followed Callahan out the front door. In spite of herself, she glanced up and down the street, half-expecting the blue van to reappear at any second.
The street remained empty. No vehicles. No foot traffic except for Kate trudging up the hill after Jonathon's school bus departed.
Roxanne waved to her as she climbed into Callahan's SUV for the ten-minute trip to the office. When Kate waved back, her heart lightened. Maybe some parts of her life were settling into a new kind of normal.
- 18 -
Sylvia looked up from her desk when they entered. "Roxanne! I wasn't expecting you. I thought you were taking a few days off to get things in order."
"I'm staying at Kate Williams' B&B for a while." Roxanne shrugged out of her heavy coat and threw it over her arm. She hoped Sylvia wouldn't ask any more questions, because the less she knew about the IRA threat, the better.
"Well, I'm glad you're here." Sylvia nodded to Callahan. "John, it's good to see you, too. Are you ready to join us soon?"
"I'm afraid it's going to be some time yet." He shook his head. "Sorry if it's leaving you in a bind. The case I'm trying to wrap up just doesn't seem to want to end."
"Just don't change your mind." she said with a smile. "You're an important part of our plan to grow the business."
Roxanne broke in, wanting to get started. "I'll just go into my office and tackle a few things--I assume you've been adding to the stack on my desk."
"Oh, uh, I should warn you," Sylvia stammered. "I forgot to call Ruthie to reschedule today's appointment. I was going to try to Forrest Gump my way through it and get as much information as I could. Ruthie and Sandy will be here around ten. Do you think there's any chance you can see them?" Sylvia looked at Roxanne with a mixture of apology and pleading.
How could she refuse? Her friend had done everything possible to take the edge off her transition to a small-town law firm. "Certainly, I'll fit them in, as long as they don't mind my less-than-formal office attire." Roxanne gestured at her jeans and sweater.
"I'm sure they wouldn't care if you wore an ape costume." Sylvia dismissed her concerns. "Ruthie's been working herself up over this for months, and Sandy's about ready to crawl in a hole."
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"You said they want to file a civil suit," Roxanne said. "Maybe we can solve it another way, something quicker and easier."
"Oh, I doubt that," Sylvie said. "Ruthie is hell-bent on filing the suit to make those arrogant bastards face the consequences."
"What can you tell me about it?" Roxanne asked as Callahan settled into one of the waiting room chairs. "I need to know as much as possible in advance, so I can offer alternatives."
Sylvia straightened a few papers on her desk while glancing at Callahan. "Well, it's kind of embarrassing for Sandy to talk about; she just wants it to go away. But Ruthie is determined not to give up." She paused, shuffling the papers she'd just gathered. "Sandy was raped last October."
"Jesus, who the hell... ?" Callahan stiffened in his seat, then looked down and bit his lower lip. "Sorry, didn't mean to interfere."
"No, that's all right. You'll be part of the team soon, so you should know what we get embroiled in," she continued. "It was three members of the football team: Sean Cummings, Michael O'Malley and Bryan Haynes."
"Figures," Roxanne muttered.
"It's just that a man's presence right now might upset Sandy. She's been trying to put it behind her, she embarrasses easily but Ruthie is insistent that the three jocks be made to pay. So she won't quit bringing it up. Each day Sandy retreats more into her own world." Sylvia shook her head. "It's so sad."
"What about criminal charges?" Roxanne prompted Sylvia back to the story. This was a serious charge and she didn't want to get caught off guard about the circumstances.
"There were no criminal charges filed. Ruthie made Sandy go to the police, but Luke said there wasn't enough evidence to charge them with a crime. He hinted that Sandy had asked for it and Ruthie blew up at him. Of course, that made Luke dig in his heels and refuse to file any paperwork, no matter what Ruthie demanded."
"When did this happen?"
"Last October, at the beginning of football season. Sean Cummings is the quarterback and the team was expected to have a banner year, so Luke probably didn't want to disrupt what could be a winning season."
