AN INNOCENT MAN

by Margaret Watson

  "Forget about Richard and worry about your father." Her voice sounded small and forlorn, and she swallowed and sat up straighter. "Did you see anything while Richard and I were in the office?"

  "I don't know what I was supposed to be looking for." His voice sounded thoughtful. "But I did seem to provoke quite a reaction from old Dickie boy when I mentioned how neat and tidy the mine looked. I'm not sure if that was significant or if I finally just got to him."

  "You've been trying to provoke him." She looked at him in astonishment.

  "Give the lady a cigar. Of course I've been trying to provoke him. Your uncle, too. I figure if I make them mad enough, they're bound to let something slip."

  "Connor, you don't know for sure that they're responsible for your father's death," she said desperately.

  "No, I don't. But if it was something connected with the mine, I'm sure they know about it." His voice softened and he half-turned to face her. "Sarah, all I want is the truth. I can't bring my father back. I can't even make it up to my mother anymore. I just want to know what happened. If it was an accident, so be it." His face hardened. "Except I don't think it was. And I think someone at the mine knows exactly what happened."

  She shivered, chilled in spite of the blazing heat. "What are you going to do next?"

  He stared out the windshield, and for a minute she didn't think he was going to answer. Finally he said, "I think it's time to pay a visit to my favorite fishing stream again. Someone was real anxious that I not wander around up there. It's made me curious to see why."

  Her stomach clenched with fear, but she said, "When are we going up there?"

  "We're not going anywhere. You're going to provide my cover in Pine Butte while I look around tonight."

  "You can't go back there by yourself." She was appalled. "Especially in the dark. I had a hard enough time finding you in the daylight."

  His lips curled in a faint smile. "You're not going to have to rescue me this time, Sarah. I'm as good as new now, and believe me, nobody'll sneak up on me again. Besides, you're going to have everybody in Pine Butte convinced that we're spending the evening together at your apartment."

  "How am I going to do that?" She didn't try to keep the exasperation out of her voice.

  "Well, you're going to get two dinners from Earlene's. A couple of her best steaks. Then you're going to pick up a couple of movies from the video store. Something that wouldn't be your usual taste."

  "Like senseless violence."

  He gave her a grin, ignoring her sarcasm. "Exactly. And when you rent them, you're going to point out that they're not something you would normally watch, but you have to humor your patient. In other words, no one in Pine Butte is going to have any idea that I'm not sitting in your apartment, eating dinner and watching bad movies."

  "In the meantime you're going to be climbing all over the mountain, not sure what you're looking for."

  "Got it in one." He brushed the hair away from her face, and his fingers ignited a fire in her belly. "Someone was damned determined to keep me away from that stream. I've waited this long because I realized it was stupid to go up there before I was completely recovered. But I have to go back. You understand that, don't you?"

  The problem was, she did. "At least let me go back there with you."

  "No, Sarah." His voice was very gentle. "I have a better chance of getting up there and getting back in one piece if everyone thinks we're together in your apartment. You provide my cover and I'll wander around up there by myself."

  Drawing in a trembling breath, she whispered, "I'm scared, Connor."

  "Don't be. This time I'll be ready. No one's going to hurt me, sweetheart."

  The truck dipped as the front wheel hit a hole, and she swung the wheel sharply to the right. "All right," she muttered. "But if you're not back here by midnight, I'm coming to look for you."

  "Don't worry, I'll be back." His hand slid around to her neck and tangled in her hair. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away from you tonight."

  * * *

  The afternoon dragged by, the minutes ticking away unbearably slowly. They'd gotten to the clinic just in time for the afternoon hours to begin, and Connor had left her at the back door with a quick, hard kiss. By the time Sarah had opened her eyes, dazed, he'd disappeared.

  She moved through the exam rooms like a robot, her mind on the plans for the evening. Every time she had a minute between patients, she rehearsed what she would say in Earlene's and the video store. Feeling like a fool, she told herself that she could pull this off. All she had to do was act normally, for God's sake.

  When anyone asked about her live-in patient, she told them the truth. It took a long time to recover from the injuries he had received, and he was still getting his strength back. She didn't tell than that Connor MacCormac had the constitution of an ox and had been perfectly fine, as far as she could tell, for the past three days.

  Josie stuck her head into the door of the office. "Only four patients left. Mary Johnson is in the second exam room. She's next."

  Sarah slid off the edge of her desk and hurried out the door. She had almost forgotten about Mary, but she was glad she'd kept her promise and come into the clinic. Pushing Connor firmly out of her mind, she opened the door and walked into the room.

  "Hi, Mary. I'm glad you came in today. How are you feeling?"

  Mary sighed. "The same. The kids are a handful and this heat is sucking all the energy out of me." Smoothing her hand over her rounded abdomen, she continued, "I can't wait for the next month to be over and this baby to be here."

  Sarah helped her friend onto the scale and frowned as she noted her large weight gain since her last visit. "Your weight is really shooting up, Mary."

  "I don't know how it could. I've been so tired, and the heat is bothering me so much that I just haven't been eating."

  At her words a cold fist squeezed Sarah's chest and she helped her friend onto the table. Please, God, no, she prayed as she wrapped the blood pressure cuff around her friend's arm.

  Taking Mary's hand in hers as she pumped up the cuff, she noticed the woman's swollen hands. Almost afraid to look down, she forced herself to look at Mary's feet. Just as she'd feared, they were so badly swollen they looked as if they were overflowing her shoes.

  Holding her breath, she checked Mary's blood pressure. Slowly unfastening the cuff on Mary's arm, she asked quietly, "Did you bring in the urine sample?"

  The woman nodded toward the counter where a small bottle stood. Sarah walked over to it and dipped in the test stick, already knowing what she would find.

  Staring at the bright green positive color, she took a deep breath and turned to face her friend. Taking Mary's hand, she looked at her for a moment.

  "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Mary."

  Mary clutched her abdomen. "What's wrong?"

  "You have toxemia." At Mary's bewildered look, she elaborated. "Your blood pressure is way too high, and you have protein in your urine."

  Mary's face crumbled and she clutched her abdomen more tightly. "What does that mean? Is the baby okay?" she whispered.

  "Lie down and let's see."

  A few minutes later she helped Mary sit up again and put her arm around her friend. "The baby's fine right now. His heartbeat is strong, and he's already dropped. And if you're real careful, nothing will happen."

  "What's toxemia? What's wrong with me?"

  "Nobody knows why some pregnant women get toxemia. But it causes high blood pressure and that's dangerous to both you and the baby." She paused, unhappy about worrying Mary any more than she already had. But she had to know. "The problem is when you go into labor. If your blood pressure goes too high, you may have a stroke. Or the baby might."

  Mary's face became even whiter. "What can we do, Sarah?" she whispered.

  "First of all, you're on complete bed rest, as of now. Get your mother to come and stay with you and take care of Jenny and Tommy." Sarah bit her lip, knowing how her friend was going to react to her n
ext words. "And I want you in the hospital in Glenwood Springs as soon as possible. You need to be in the hospital in case you go into labor early. If we can't get your blood pressure down, you may have to have a Caesarean section."

  "Leave Tom and the kids by themselves? This baby isn't due for another month." Her face looked shocked and uncomprehending.

  "Your life could be at stake, Mary. Yours and the baby's. Toxemia is dangerous." Sarah took her friend's hand again. "Please, call your mother. Have her get here as soon as possible. I don't want you to take any chances."

  Mary slid awkwardly off the exam table and stood up. "Thanks, Sarah. I'll do … I don't know what I'll do. I'll think of something."

  "Think of it fast, Mary." Her tone softened as she looked at her friend. "This is not something to fool around with. And stay off your feet. I'm coming by tomorrow to check on you."

  Sarah slumped against the wall as she watched Mary make her way out the door. Toxemia. Fear for her friend clutched at her, propelling her toward the waiting room. She'd tell Mary to get Tom and get in the car now and drive to Glenwood Springs. Mary shouldn't even wait until her mother could get here to watch the kids.

  But by the time she reached the door, Mary was gone. Mary was an intelligent woman, Sarah reassured herself. She wouldn't take any chances with herself or the baby. By tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, she'd be in the hospital in Glenwood Springs, her blood pressure constantly monitored and a team of doctors ready to intervene if there was any danger.

  She'd call the hospital as soon as she'd seen her last patient. Turning wearily to the exam rooms, she opened the next chart and studied it for a moment before walking into the room.

  * * *

  Connor wanted to see Sarah one more time before he went up the mountain. He told himself it was just to make sure she knew what she was supposed to do and when she was supposed to do it. Needing to hold her, to kiss her again, wasn't the reason at all.

  Besides, need had nothing to do with his feelings about Sarah Wesley anyway, he reminded himself. He wanted her, that was all. Wanting he could control. But needing her was different. When you needed someone, they owned you. And no on was going to control him that way, ever again. The last person he'd thought he needed was Barb Wesley. There was no way he was going to let another woman have that kind of power over him.

  Pushing open the door to her office, he looked around. Josie sat at the desk behind the counter, writing. She looked up and smiled when she saw him.

  "She's in with a patient right now. The last one of the day, so she'll be finished soon."

  "Thanks, Josie." He gave her a casual wave and headed for his bedroom. He would not hang around the waiting room like a teenager mooning over his first girlfriend. Stretched out on the bed, he heard the low, indistinguishable sounds of two voices talking. In a few minutes a door opened and as they walked into the waiting room, the voices grew more faint. He wasn't about to jump up and dash out there after her. He'd give her time to get her records in order, then he'd make sure she was all set for tonight.

  The front door had barely closed when he stood up and strolled into the clinic. She wasn't in the waiting room, so he headed for the office.

  He paused in the doorway. Sarah was slumped at her desk, her head in her hands. His carefully casual air disappeared in a rush of panic.

  He was across the room in three strides, crouching next to her and swinging her chair around to face him. "What's wrong?"

  At the sound of his voice she started, raising her head to look at him. For just a moment he saw pain and anguish in her eyes before she blinked and smiled at him.

  "Hi." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I didn't hear you come in. What have you been doing?"

  "Sarah, don't change the subject. What's the matter?" he asked roughly.

  Sighing, she settled back in her chair and watched him for a moment. "It's on of my patients," she said finally. "I'm worried about her.

  "Mary Johnson?" he asked, uneasy at how quickly he seemed to know.

  She looked startled. "How did you know?"

  Shrugging, he looked away. "I know you were worried about her yesterday, and I remember you telling her to come in today. It wasn't that big a leap."

  But it was. Never before had he felt this kind of connection to anybody. It was almost as if he could read Sarah's mind, and he didn't want to think about why.

  "She's got toxemia." The word fell between them, somehow more frightening for the matter-of-fact way she said it.

  "It's high blood pressure associated with pregnancy. I told her she has to go to the hospital in Glenwood Springs and stay there until the baby's born, but I don't know how soon she'll get there." She took a deep breath and said in a rush, "She's not due for a month, but the baby's ready to be born. I'm terrified that something'll happen to her on the way to the hospital."

  His hand tightened on the arm of her chair, then he deliberately relaxed it. "Like it did with Barb, you mean."

  She nodded, not looking at him. His heart twisted at the agony in her face, and he pulled her out of the chair and into his arms. "She'll be fine," he murmured, nuzzling her bright hair away from her neck and kissing the spot just below her ear. "It's the middle of the summer. There isn't going to be any snow on Eagle Ridge Road

  , and Tom will get her there in plenty of time." His lips wandered across her cheek and found her mouth. "Nothing is going to happen, Sarah."

  Her mouth clung to his, returning his kiss with a deep hunger. He pulled her closer and cupped her hips in his hands, pressing her against his already aroused body. "Don't worry, sweetheart, everything is going to be fine," he whispered.

  As he smoothed the hair away from her face, he struggled for control. He had to stop this, right now, if he expected to turn around and walk out of this room tonight. Clearing his throat, he said, "I just came in to see if you needed anything before I left."

  Fear shadowed her eyes again. It gave him a fierce pleasure to know that this time it was for him. Jamming his hands in his back pockets, he forced himself to step farther away from her. "Are you going to be all right tonight?"

  She nodded. "I'll be fine." Giving him a shaky smile, she added, "I've been practicing all afternoon. I think I've got my lines memorized."

  He couldn't resist on more quick, hard kiss. "Don't worry about me. I'll be back before you know it."

  He turned and left the room without looking back.

  * * *

  Chapter 13

  «^»

  The orange ball of the sun, hanging low in the sky, glinted off the bare rocks as Connor headed the small rental car up the mountain. Sarah had offered him her truck, but he'd refused. He didn't want anyone thinking Sarah was involved in his business. After he left she would be too vulnerable.

  His hands tightened at the thought. Slowly and deliberately, he loosened each finger. Sarah would be fine when he was gone. She belonged in Pine Butte. He never would.

  When he reached the place he'd parked last time, he stepped on the accelerator and swerved on the loose stones in the road as he hurried past. There was nothing there except a stream with no fish in it. He'd have to go higher up the mountain to find what he was looking for.

  The problem was, he didn't know what he was looking for. Something was going on at the Wesley mine. Richard's behavior earlier had confirmed that for him, and his gut instinct told him to look up the mountain. Whoever had bashed him in the head the other day wasn't just out for a good time. Someone was trying to protect something, and he had no intention of leaving tonight until he knew what it was.

  He drove upward until the trees began thinning out. Spotting a decent-size stand of pine, he pulled the little red car behind it, then kicked at the dirt to hide his tire tracks. Then, standing by the side of the road, he took a deep breath and looked around.

  The sun hovered near the edge of the mountain, ready to slip behind it and plunge the area into blackness. The few scrubby pine trees cast long, contorted shadows acros
s the rocky ground. Boulders dotted the gentle slope, and as he stood in the twilight the only sound he heard was the moaning of the wind through the trees.

  Pulling his black leather motorcycle jacket out of the car, he put it on and zipped it up and shoved his hands into his pockets. It might be late summer in the valley down below, but up at the top of the mountain the nights were damnably cold already. After a moment's thought, he reached into the trunk of the car and lifted out the small black bag he always carried with him. Holding its comforting weight in his hand, he looked around again

  He crossed the road, heading in the direction of the stream. He'd never been this far up the mountain, but the stream had to originate up here somewhere. It would at least be a landmark, something to keep him from getting completely lost in the inky darkness that would descend in a matter of minutes.

  The ground was hard-packed dirt and stones, barely covering the solid rock underneath. It was a wonder anything survived up here. Even the few trees that dotted the area were hunched over, clinging tenaciously to the thin soil.

  Connor walked slowly, his booted feet kicking loose stones and scuffing over the rocks. Every few feet he stopped and listened. The only sound was his own heart pounding in his ears. Evening on the mountain was silent, almost eerily so. The animals that lived in the sunshine we gone, holed up for the night, and the nocturnal creatures hadn't yet ventured out.

  Blackness engulfed the mountain by the time he found the stream. He heard it gurgling before he saw it and stopped, straining to hear in the darkness. The only sound was the splashing of water on rocks, and after a while he moved forward until he stood on the edge of the small stream.

  Nothing. There was no sign of life anywhere around him, no smell of acrid sweat, no gathering of tense muscles close by. He was alone in the night next to the stream.

  There was also nothing suspicious about the stream, at least where he stood. Stepping back from its edge, he headed upward. Somewhere on this mountain lay the answers he searched for. It was up to him to dig them out.

  It seemed as if he walked for hours. The trees became fewer and fewer, until he knew he had passed the tree line. The only vegetation was the occasional scrubby bush that lay almost flat against the rock, and the moss that covered everything.