Back on Solid Ground

by Debra Trueman

“Jason came with you?” Stacy said surprised.

  Niki nodded his head yes. “He loved it here. Said he wanted to come back for vacation some time.”

  “How do you guys know each other?”

  “We grew up together. I’ve known him for as long as I can remember.”

  “Will he come to your sister’s wedding?” Stacy asked.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him to tell him. Probably.”

  “What about Carlos?” she asked.

  “Probably,” Niki said. “I can see the wheels spinning in that busy little head of yours,” Niki said, laughing. “What are you plotting?”

  “Nothing,” she said, feigning innocence.

  “Bullshit,” Niki said. He scooped her up and carried her over to the couch and sat down with her in his lap. “I can read you like a book. You’re up to something.”

  He took Stacy’s face in his hands and kissed her on the lips, then Stacy laid her head against Niki’s chest. There was something masculine about the way he breathed and it was fascinating to listen to.

  “Thank you for dinner,” Stacy said, into his chest.

  “It was my pleasure.”

  He stroked her head and ran his fingers through her hair. Stacy lifted her head and kissed him softly on the lips. “I love you, Niki.”

  “Yes!” Niki said with a fist pump, and he leaned his head against the back of the couch with a huge smile on his face. “I love you too, Stacy.”

  He laid her down on the couch and made love to her, then they moved into the bedroom for round two. Stacy was curled up in Niki’s arms, with her head against his chest.

  “I don’t want tonight to end,” Stacy said.

  “Me neither,” Niki said.

  They fell asleep in each other’s arms and made love again when they woke up in the morning. They ordered room service and ate breakfast in bed and it was 11:00 before they made it out of the hotel. Stacy called in to the office and said she was taking the day off, then she and Niki went back over to her condo so she could shower and change clothes.

  “What do you feel like doing today?” Stacy asked.

  “Being with you,” Niki said.

  They spent the day picnicing and hiking at a local park, and were lying on a blanket watching the clouds. Niki put his arm around Stacy. “I have to leave tomorrow,” he said.

  Stacy’s head snapped towards him. “No! I just got you back. You can’t leave!”

  “It’s just for three or four days. I can come back after that.”

  “Niki,” Stacy whined.

  “Stacy,” he mimicked her, laughing, and she slugged him.

  “Where are you going, to rob another bank?” she said grumpily.

  Niki smiled. He hadn’t expected her to be so disappointed and he liked it. “No. It’s actually legitimate business,” he said. “I have to go to L.A.”

  “I don’t want you to leave,” Stacy said. “It was terrible not knowing if I would ever see you again and not having any way to get in touch with you.”

  Niki smiled at her. “Stacy,” he said. “Do you not get it? I wake up in the morning thinking about you and I’m thinking about you when I go to bed at night. I want to spend my life with you. And you laugh every time I say that, but it’s God’s honest truth.”

  Stacy sat up but didn’t say anything.

  “Believe me, I’d much rather stay here with you, but it’s not something I can get out of,” Niki said. “You can come with me if you want,” he suggested. Niki sat up and Stacy buried her head in his chest.

  “I’m sorry,” Stacy said.

  “For what?”

  “For being a baby,” she said, embarrassed.

  “Why don’t you come with me?”

  “I can’t. I’ve got appointments all week I’d have to reschedule, and I’m finally getting caught up at the office. But you’re sweet to ask.”

  “Sweet?” he repeated. “Now there’s an adjective I’m not often associated with.”

  Stacy laughed and Niki wrestled her to the ground, then he pinned her down and started kissing her neck, tickling her.

  “Stop,” she said laughing. “You’re giving me goose bumps.” She finally gave up the struggle and put her arms around his neck and Niki moved his mouth to hers and kissed her long and tenderly on the lips.

  “I’ll come straight back,” he said.

  They stayed at the park for another hour laughing and talking, then they packed up the car and headed back home.

  “Can I take you to dinner?” Niki asked.

  “No. I want to cook. What time do you have to leave tomorrow?”

  “Mid-morning,” he said.

  “Well, let’s go get your stuff from the hotel and you can check out this afternoon. That way you don’t have to do it in the morning. You’re staying at my place tonight.”

  “You’re kind of bossy aren’t you?”

  “No more than you.”

  They checked Niki out of the hotel and went back over to Stacy’s condo. She cooked dinner and they turned out the lights and had a candlelit dinner on the balcony overlooking the city lights.

  “Let’s go lie in your bed,” Niki said after dinner.

  They were taking their plates to the kitchen when the phone rang. Stacy debated on whether to answer it and decided she better.

  “Hello,” Stacy said. No one spoke but she could tell someone was there. “Hello,” she repeated. Stacy got a chill up her back and hung up the phone.

  “Wrong number?” Niki asked.

  “He didn’t say anything but I could hear him breathing.”

  “Like heavy breathing?” Niki asked.

  “No. Not like it was intentional. Like nervous breathing.”

  “Do you think it was your father?” Niki asked.

  “I don’t know,” Stacy said. “Do you?”

  Niki walked over and made sure the front door was locked, then he locked the balcony door. “Has that happened before?”

  “A few times, but not in the last week.”

  “I don’t want you staying here by yourself, Stacy,” Niki said. “I’m going to have someone posted outside your door while I’m gone. Do you have a gun?”

  “Yes. You’re scaring me.”

  “I’m not trying to scare you. But I do want you to be aware of what’s going on around you. If your father’s back, you’re not safe. And I don’t want you to delude yourself into thinking you are.”

  “Alex, my FBI guy, told me to tell him when I get hang-ups. Do you think I should call him and let him know?” Stacy asked.

  “It’s not a bad idea.”

  “Okay. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

  “I want you to sleep with your gun beside your bed, and I want you to carry it with you wherever you go,” Niki said.

  “Keeping it by the bed is no problem, but it’s too big to carry with me,” she said. “It’s a 357.”

  “Then I’ll leave you one of mine.”

  “You are so damn sexy when you take charge,” Stacy said. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

  “I’m serious, Stacy,” Niki said irritated.

  “I know you are. And I have taken to heart every word you said, and I’ll do everything you told me. But there’s nothing more we can do tonight, and you’re leaving in the morning, and I don’t want to talk about it any more right now.”

  Niki couldn’t help but smile. “Well then why are we standing around here? Get your ass in that bed.”

  Chapter 38

  Stacy woke up early and was showered and dressed for work when she woke Niki. She sat on the side of the bed and leaned over and kissed him.

  “Good morning,” she said when he opened his eyes. “I brought you some coffee.”

  Niki sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

  “It’s almost 7:00. I have to get to a breakfast meeting, but I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”

  “You look nice,” Niki said. He got out of bed and went to his bag and pulled out a 9
mm. “Where’s your purse?”

  Stacy took the gun and checked the safety, then walked into the living room and put it in her purse and came back to the bedroom. Niki was writing something down on a business card. “Here’s my mobile number. Text me or call me, and if you get my voicemail, leave a message and I’ll call you back,” he said, handing her the card.

  Stacy smiled. “You mean if I get lonely I can call and talk to you?”

  “You better,” he said hugging her. “What’s your number?” He put the number in his phone as she called it out. “I’ll walk you out to your car.”

  Niki got dressed and they walked outside. “I’ll see you in a few days,” he said.

  “Okay. I’ll miss you,” Stacy told him.

  “Me too,” Niki said, and he hugged and kissed her.

  Stacy started the engine and Niki watched her drive off then went back upstairs to her condo.

  As soon as she was out of the parking lot, Stacy grabbed her phone. Holly picked up on the third ring.

  “I have a boyfriend,” Stacy said.

  “You do? Are you so in love?” Holly exclaimed.

  “I am so in love. We had the best date Sunday night and then we spent all of yesterday together and last night. He’s amazing!”

  “Well I need to meet him! What if I hate him?” Holly said.

  “Not possible,” Stacy laughed. “But I’m bummed because he’s leaving today for L.A.”

  “ But he just got here!” Holly said.

  “I know. I’m hoping he’ll be back by the weekend.”

  “Oh. I thought you meant that he was going, going. Leaving for three days is no big deal,” she said.

  “He invited me to his sister’s wedding in New Orleans in a couple of weeks,” Stacy said.

  “New Orleans? Is that where he’s from?” Holly asked.

  “Yeah, can you believe it. Right next door,” Stacy said.

  “You’re gonna go aren’t you, to the wedding?” Holly asked.

  “I told him I would.”

  “Are you on your way to work already?” Holly asked.

  “A breakfast meeting with a new client. You want to go to a movie or something tonight?”

  “Yeah, let’s do. I’ll come by after work.”

  Stacy made it to her breakfast meeting with ten minutes to spare. She liked to get to the restaurant first when she was meeting with a new client, and she hoped the client representative hadn’t beaten her there. The hostess led Stacy to her regular corner table, then she returned with a carafe of coffee and set it on the table. The client got there five minutes later and Stacy stood up and shook his hand when the hostess brought him over.

  “Good morning Mr. Riley. I’m Stacy Trent.”

  Mr. Riley sat down beside Stacy and they spent the next hour going over what Stacy envisioned as his company’s promotion strategy. When she finished her initial presentation, she gave him a packet of materials she had compiled for him to look over.

  “This all looks great,” said Mr. Riley. “And I have a few more things in my car I’d like to send with you, if you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all,” Stacy said. She paid the bill and followed Mr. Riley outside.

  “I’m parked over here on the side.” He led her to his van and opened the side door. He bent down and was going through a box. He came up with a white handkerchief and in one motion, he grabbed Stacy and covered her mouth and nose, shoved her into the van and closed the door. The chloroform knocked her out instantly and Mr. Riley got in the van and drove off.

  It was 3:00 when Amy called Holly at her office.

  “Have you talked to Stacy today?” Amy asked.

  “Yeah, I spoke to her this morning. Why?” Holly asked.

  “I haven’t heard from her all day. And she just missed an appointment here at the office.”

  “You called her mobile?” Holly asked.

  “Yeah, she’s not answering,” Amy said. “Holly you know Stacy, and this isn’t like her at all. I just know something has happened, otherwise she would have called.”

  “When I talked to her this morning, she was going to a breakfast meeting with a new client. Do you know which client it was?”

  “No. But I can look on her calendar.”

  “Why don’t you do that and call the client and see if she made it for the meeting. And call me back on my mobile. I’m going to drive by her condo and see if her car is there,” Holly said. She gave Amy her number and grabbed her keys and raced out to her car. She called Stacy’s home number and mobile number on the way over, but all she got was Stacy’s voicemail. She left a message on both telling Stacy to call her immediately when she got the message, then she texted her for good measure.

  Holly pulled into Stacy’s condo and drove past her parking slot. The Viper was sitting right where it belonged, so Holly pulled in and parked. She took the elevator to the top floor and when she got out there was a man sitting outside Stacy’s door. Holly jumped, not expecting anyone to be there.

  “Who are you?” Holly asked, in an accusatory tone.

  “Who are you?” the man shot back in the same tone of voice.

  “I asked you first. Are you with the FBI?”

  “No.”

  “Then what the hell are you doing lurking outside Stacy’s door? Is she in there?” Holly pounded on the door, “Stacy,” she yelled. Holly fished her phone out of her purse. “I’m calling the police.”

  He reached over and took the phone out of Holly’s hand. “I’m a friend of Stacy’s,” he said, stretching the truth.

  Holly snatched her phone back. “Well I’ve known Stacy all my life and I’ve never seen you. You either tell me who you are and why you’re here, or I’ll have federal agents all over you like a swarm of bees.”

  “I’m here to keep an eye on your friend,” he said amused. “If you’re as good of friends as you claim, then I assume you know that Stacy may be in some danger,” he said, not wanting to disclose too much.

  “Well if you’re not with the FBI, then who hired you?”

  “Niki Lautrec.”

  Holly threw her hands up. “Why didn’t you say that at the beginning!” she said, thoroughly pissed off. And then it dawned on her. “You must be Jason,” she said, looking him over.

  Jason smiled. He recognized her from Stacy’s hospital interview. “And you are?” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Holly Lane.”

  “As in Lois?”

  Holly ignored the remark. “Look, I’m sorry if I was ugly, but I’m worried about Stacy, and you could have just as easily been some creep here to hurt her.”

  “I understand,” Jason said. “No hard feelings.”

  She found her keys and opened Stacy’s door. “Stacy! Are you here?” she yelled. Jason followed her inside and Holly walked through the condo looking for Stacy, but the place was empty. Holly turned to Jason, “Stacy’s missing.”

  “What?” Jason said in disbelief.

  “It may be nothing, but her assistant called and said that Stacy didn’t show up for work today. I talked to her at 7:15 this morning, but no one’s heard from her since.” Her purse rang and Holly dug to find her phone, “Hello.”

  Amy was in tears. “I talked to someone from the company that Stacy was meeting with and they had never heard of the person who claimed to be the client rep.”

  Holly reached behind her for a chair and tried to clear her head to think. “I’m at her place now. Her car’s outside, but she’s not here,” Holly said. “Let me think for a minute and I’ll call you back, Amy.” Holly hung up, and by the look on her face, something was obviously wrong.

  “What is it?” Jason said, and Holly related what Amy had told her. “Shit,” he said under his breath. He pulled out his phone and dialed Niki’s number, but got his voicemail, “You need to call me immediately,” then he texted the same message.

  Jason got up and paced the room, then he turned to Holly. “Take me to the restaurant.”

  Holly gave hi
m a look, waiting expectantly, but he didn’t get it. “Please?”

  “Please,” Jason replied, contrite.

  “That’s better.”

  They drove to the restaurant and Holly and Jason both went inside. They talked to the hostess, who confirmed that Stacy had been there for breakfast and that a man had met her there. According to the waitress, they had been there for about an hour and had walked out together. She described the man, as best she could remember and took Jason’s number in case she remembered anything else. Jason walked the parking lot looking for clues, but didn’t find anything. They went back to Stacy’s condo and walked over to the Viper.

  “Would she have taken her car to the restaurant this morning?” Jason asked.

  “She would have had to.”

  “So she either drove it back and she was taken from here, which I doubt, or someone else drove it back here,” he said, more to himself than Holly. “Don’t touch anything. I’m going to have it dusted and see if we can get any prints.” Holly listened as he called Lautrec Investigations in Austin and made arrangements for someone to come down to dust the car and run any prints.

  When he got off the phone Holly asked him, “Are we assuming that Stacy’s father is behind this?”

  “That’s the assumption,” Jason said.

  “I’ve known that man all my life and I just can’t believe he would do something like this,” Holly said, not willing to believe it.

  “He gave us the name of the man he hired to kill Stacy. Believe it.”

  “Then are you assuming that she has been taken again, kidnapped,” she said, trying not to become emotional.

  “That’s the assumption.”

  Holly took a deep breath. “Well I’m not going to sit around here and do nothing. I’m going to her dad’s house and look around.”

  She sounded distinctly like Stacy when she said it and Jason knew better than to argue. “We’ll take my car,” he said.

  They drove to Monte Vista and Jason parked in the street two houses down. They got out and went around back and Jason was getting ready to pick the lock but Holly moved a rock beside the back steps and picked up the house key. The house was dark and the kitchen smelled musty. Holly looked in the sink and felt the sponge, then she turned around and looked at Jason.