A Question of Honor

by Mary Anne Wilson

  As if Mallory read her mind, she said, “I have Adam’s cell-phone number downstairs. Do you want me to get it for you? Or I could drive you out to the Carson ranch so you can talk to him?”

  Mallory had already done so much for her, Faith couldn’t imagine asking Mallory to drive her out there. Besides, it would be easier to contact Adam by phone. Who knew? She might need to get her car from Dent and leave without ever seeing the wallet again. “The phone number, please,” she said as she dropped her hands and sank back against the headboard again. “It’s faster.” And safer, she added to herself. One more chat with Adam, then that was it.

  Mallory came back with a number written on a slip of paper topped with the inn’s logo. “I knew I had it,” she said as Faith took the paper from her.

  Faith entered the number into her cell phone and hit Send. There was no ring before there was a click, then Adam’s recorded voice saying, “I’m not available, but if this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911. If you want to talk, just leave a message.”

  She hesitated, heard the beep. “Adam, it’s Faith Arden. I just needed to ask if by any chance you found my wallet in your truck. If you could call me at the inn, I would really appreciate it.”

  She closed the phone and laid it on the bed beside her. “It went right to voice mail.”

  “I can still take you out there,” Mallory offered quickly.

  “Oh, no, I’ll wait for him to call,” she said. Or for Dent to call and say the car was ready.

  Faith glanced at the window, where gray light was peeking through the narrow opening between the curtain panels. The longer the wallet was gone, the more chance there was of disaster. Waiting would be so hard, but if it wasn’t at the hospital or outside, it was either gone forever or with Adam.

  Mallory obviously sensed the growing distress in Faith. “Don’t worry. You’ll make yourself sick again. If it’s still at the hospital, the staff will find it, and if it’s with Adam, it couldn’t be in a safer place.”

  Faith looked up at Mallory. “I guess.”

  She chuckled softly. “Hey, what’s more safe than a cop finding your wallet? And a great cop at that.”

  “Yes, he is, isn’t he?”

  “You got lucky, I think.”

  Faith heard the words, understood the words and barely kept from flinching. Lucky?

  She couldn’t just sit here while Adam might already know about her, already be in touch with the police in Chicago or with the federal prosecutor. The worst-case scenario could already be in motion. Her course of action was crystal clear. She was going to get her things together as soon as Mallory left, figure out her money situation, then try to get out of here in one piece...alone.

  The nausea was growing, and she pulled back the covers. “Thanks, Mallory, for everything. But right now, I really need a shower,” she said as she stood, heading to the bathroom, surprisingly steady on her feet.

  “Okay, I’ll let you know if I hear anything from anyone, including Adam.”

  Under the stream of hot water in the shower, Faith tried to think, tried to plan, and she told herself not to expect the worst, but just make sure she got out of there as soon as she could. She thought of calling Dent while she dried off, but pushed that away. She needed to go there and speak to him in person.

  When she was dressed in a heavy sweater, fresh jeans and her boots, she took a few dollars out of her remaining bankroll, grabbed her jacket, her cell phone and the room key.

  She had a glimmer of hope as she left her room. If Adam had her wallet, he would have found it two days ago, but he hadn’t done a thing about it that she knew of. Why wouldn’t he bring it to her, ask for an explanation, go from there? Because he was figuring out how to handle her arrest. Him and John Longbow. She shivered, pushing that awful idea away. On to her first priority. Her car.

  She set off for Dent’s.

  * * *

  ADAM FELT FRUSTRATED as he sat in the police station behind John’s desk and stared at the computer. No one could walk on this earth and not leave a trail at all. But Faith Arden had no trail. Nothing in Illinois, nothing in any other jurisdiction he could search on John’s computer. No wonder Connors hadn’t found anything under that name, either.

  John had left an hour ago, going to make rounds while Adam searched. Now Adam was done. Frustration didn’t sit well with him. He wasn’t used to coming up with absolutely nothing to show for his time doing a background search. As far as the criminal world was concerned, no one by that name had been an offender or a victim in the past year, or owned a home, a car or even owed library fines.

  He put on his leather jacket, his Stetson and left the office, passing Bobby Ray behind the front desk. “Tell John I came up with a goose egg,” he said and kept on going.

  “Yes, sir,” the young deputy called after him.

  Adam stepped out into the late-afternoon chill. The sky was gray, but no snow, except for the icy remnants from the storm that had passed through two nights ago. He’d heard that Brandon Sage was doing well, and Jack had called again to let Adam know he was coming back soon. No one knew what that meant. To pack for good or to stay? They’d have to wait.

  He got into the truck, turned it on and switched the heater to full blast. Faith’s condition wasn’t as easily summed up as Brandon’s or Jack’s, at least not for him. He’d been by the inn two or three times, once actually going up to her room with Moses when he’d insisted on seeing her for himself. She’d been sleeping, her skin cool to his touch, and the sight of her had knotted his stomach.

  He’d gone back again, but didn’t go up. He’d asked Mallory about her, heard that she was doing okay, just sleeping a lot, and today he’d stayed away. He’d never felt the protectiveness for anyone that he did for Faith, apart from his family. The feeling was focused and intense. And it hadn’t lessened with time.

  He put the truck into gear and intended to go back to the ranch, but Bobby Ray came out of the station and jogged over to him.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Sorry, sir,” the deputy said, offering him the cordless phone. “A call for you. I thought you’d need to take it.”

  Adam felt his chest tighten, not sure what to expect when he put the phone to his ear. But his first thought was of Faith. Maybe something had happened to her? “Hello?”

  He was surprised to hear his mother on the other end of the line. “Oh, Adam, thank goodness. Your phone’s dead or turned off.”

  He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and realized he hadn’t charged it. “It’s dead,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s your dad.”

  His stomach clenched. He’d heard those words more than once over the years, but this time he knew that he hadn’t been stopped in Wolf Lake, that John hadn’t brought him in to let him sober up before calling the family to get him. John would have contacted him right away.

  “What happened?”

  “He’s sick. He’s en route to the hospital. I’m just leaving now.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure. He was over at the Yardley’s place in Crestline—you know the bank manager at the branch over there—and they said he got short of breath and disoriented.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Moses is waiting for him. I’m okay and I don’t need you here, but I wanted you to know.”

  He’d never bought that in the past, and he wouldn’t buy it now. “I’ll see you in ten.”

  Bobby Ray was still standing in the cold waiting on him with no jacket on. Adam quickly hung up, handed the phone back. “Tell John that my father’s in the hospital,” he said and roared away from the station.

  Adam was at the hospital in record time. The nurse at the urgent-care unit buzzed the security doors open for him to go through without asking him anything. Sh
e obviously knew why he was there.

  He’d barely got inside when Moses appeared from behind some curtains into the aisle, almost colliding with him. Adam caught a glimpse of his father through the slight parting in the curtains. An intern and nurse were taking his vitals and asking him questions. Herbert Carson looked as if he was stunned, and Adam could hear how rapid and shallow his breathing was. The intern snapped an oxygen mask over his dad’s face, pushing up the sleeves of his shirt.

  “I knew you’d get here fast once Lark found you,” Moses said as he reached around Adam to shut the curtains.

  “What’s happening?”

  Moses folded his arms on his chest. “Believe it or not, I don’t know. He just got here, and there are a lot of tests I need to run.”

  “What do you think is happening?” Adam asked abruptly, his frustration and worry obvious in his tone.

  But John was patient. “Anything from a full MI to a—”

  “English,” Adam said, cutting him off.

  “A heart attack, a myocardial infarction or something as simple as indigestion or even an anxiety attack. I don’t know yet. With his background, it’s hard to tell at first.”

  Adam turned, taking a long breath, and saw his mother coming through the security doors. She headed right for him, her face wet with tears, and she silently went into his hug, which lasted until she chose to move back. When he looked down at her, she was controlled, or at least wasn’t crying anymore. “They need to do tests and stabilize him,” he told her. He didn’t want her to hear anything about a heart attack, not unless she had to.

  His mother trusted Moses as much as he did, and she moved to touch the doctor’s arm. “Please, take care of him.”

  “Of course I will,” Moses said. “This is going to take time, and you can’t be with him. Please, go get some coffee and try to stay calm. I’ll get back to you as soon as I know anything.”

  Reluctantly Adam and his mother walked to the waiting room. He looked at the TV on the wall in the corner and he had a flashback to waiting for Faith in the same spot. He hadn’t been in this hospital for years, not even to see Moses, and now he’d been here twice in three days, and not for any happy visits.

  He stared blankly at the TV, letting his mind recall the past couple of days, then he wished he hadn’t. Memories of some things could be so potent. The feeling of Faith in his arms, her boldness, her braveness, having been so sick. He stood abruptly, looked at his watch and realized they’d been sitting there an hour.

  He told his mother he’d get them coffee and be right back. But when he returned to the waiting room, his mother was gone. The nurse on duty pointed to the doors and he was buzzed in. Next he saw Moses outside his father’s cubicle.

  He couldn’t read Moses’s expression as he hurried over to him, but he did hear his mother sobbing behind the curtain. “What’s going on?”

  “Hey, hey,” Moses said, his hand on Adam’s arm. “It’s okay. He’s okay. She’s just relieved and happy.”

  He exhaled, took a moment, then asked, “What happened to him?”

  “Believe it or not, he had an anxiety attack. I gave him some medication, and although a few tests still aren’t back, I’m sure it’s not anything more than stress and worry.”

  Adam exhaled harshly. “I thought...”

  Even though he didn’t finish that thought, Moses knew exactly what he had been going to say. “No, no alcohol involved. Nothing like that. He’s doing well on that front. This seems to be just plain old-fashioned nerves, unless the tests show something I’m missing. My bet is they won’t.”

  “He’ll be okay?”

  “He will be if he takes care of himself. He needs time to just relax for a while.”

  Adam automatically felt less uneasy. “You know Dad’s pretty stubborn. He won’t do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

  “He will do what he’s told,” his mother said in a raised voice.

  Adam parted the curtains just enough to see his father’s arms around his mother, who was lying on his chest. She was smiling. “You’d better listen to her, Dad.”

  “He will,” Lark said softly. “He will.”

  Adam pulled back, closing the curtains. He and Moses walked beyond the security doors. As they closed behind them, Adam said simply, “Thank you.”

  Moses laid his hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Hey, I’d do anything for your family.”

  Adam nodded. “Same here.”

  Moses slapped his shoulder, started to turn to go back, but stopped and addressed Adam. “Did Faith Arden get ahold of you?”

  That question broadsided him. “Is she okay?”

  “Seems to be, but Mallory called me, said that the lady lost her wallet somewhere and thought it could be here. It’s not, but she said she’d contact you to see if she left it in your truck.”

  “I haven’t seen any wallet in the truck.”

  “That’s too bad. I think you were her last hope.”

  He felt helpless and hated it. Maybe he could check for her or do something. “Could you tell Mom to call if she needs me?”

  “Sure.” Moses nodded. “Take care.”

  Adam left the hospital, turned in the direction of the inn and drove through the gathering dusk. Her wallet. He knew the feeling of losing one. He’d done it more than once, and it had been a real inconvenience every time. He suspected that Faith losing her wallet would be a lot more than a mere inconvenience.

  He slowed when he thought he recognized Faith on the street. After his mistakes when he’d thought he’d seen her before, he didn’t believe it was her until he pulled abreast of her. It was Faith striding down the sidewalk, past the general store, her head down, her pace almost qualifying as a slow run.

  He went by, pulled into a parking spot ahead of her and got out of the truck. But she crossed the street before his boots hit the ground, and he took off after her, calling out to her as he went. “Faith! Hey, Faith, stop!”

  He could have sworn she paused when he said her name, but she didn’t stop. She acted as if she hadn’t heard anything and sped up as he came along behind her. When he almost reached her, he called out again, “Faith, stop!” and this time he knew she’d heard him. Still, she didn’t stop. He got close enough to reach out, grab at her arm and finally pull her to a stop. She spun around, breaking the contact, facing him with wide eyes.

  She didn’t turn away, but stood her ground, breathing hard, and even across the three feet that buffered them from each other, he could tell she was shaking. He took a step toward her, afraid she might run, only to be rewarded by her remaining where she was.

  She seemed scared, and why was she practically running? He looked around, certain he’d see somebody coming after her, but he only saw tourists and townspeople going about their business.

  “Who are you trying to get away from?” he finally asked, focusing back on her.

  She stunned him when she said one word. “You.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  FAITH COULD HAVE STOOD there and cried, she felt so drained. She’d heard Adam calling out to her, and she’d run. Why? If he knew all about her, if he was there to take her to the authorities, running was a stupid thing to do. And if he knew nothing, her actions were even more stupid. But she’d been frightened by his voice suddenly behind her. Now he thought someone had been chasing her, some crazed person, when all the while she’d been the one crazed.

  He was so obviously a cop that she couldn’t figure out how she hadn’t guessed it all on her own. His eyes were on her, his attention seemingly centered on her, yet she could tell he was sizing up the street looking for the culprit that didn’t exist. And she had no doubt that he’d throw himself in front of her if someone came to hurt her.

  “Me?” he asked,

  “Not you. I meant, I thought someone was...” She
didn’t know how to justify what she’d just done without sounding even stranger. So she started walking slowly in the direction she had been running. Back to the inn.

  Her meeting with Dent had upset her, and then Adam was there, shouting at her to stop, like on some bad cop show. She couldn’t even smile at that. It could have been real. Very real.

  She hugged herself as she walked. The car wasn’t going to be done tomorrow. She’d be lucky if it was done before Christmas. What a birthday, she thought, one she’d work to forget. Adam caught up to her and matched her stride for stride.

  She darted him a glance, then kept her eyes on where her boots were hitting the weathered path through the snow. When he spoke, she missed her step and had to do a double hitch to keep going without falling on her face. “Moses said you’re looking for your wallet.”

  She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. “Yes,” she said, thankful her voice sounded reasonably normal, despite her nerves.

  “I haven’t see it anywhere, but I’m sure someone will turn up with it.”

  The inn was only two blocks ahead. She tried not to give any hint at the relief she felt that he hadn’t had her wallet all this time. If she never got it back, she was thankful it hadn’t fallen into his hands. She fought the urge to walk faster, but just kept up the pace that Adam was matching. “I hope so,” she said.

  “Trust me, most people around here who might find it will do everything they can to get it back to its owner.”

  She didn’t stop. “I’m sure they will,” she murmured, still reeling from the figure Dent had given her to get the car finished. If she didn’t find her wallet, she was going to have to use almost all of her remaining cash to bail her car out and then pay Mallory. She’d been raised with money and made good money at her work, or, at least, had made good money. But right then she fully understood what it meant to be broke.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked as they approached the inn.