Jacqueline wished she knew what the phantom wanted, and if her or Link’s lives would be expendable after he got it. One of her father’s favorite phrases circled like a broken record in her mind: ‘Better the enemy you know than the one you don’t.’ She finally understood his philosophy.
As the Cessna accelerated, prop wash whipped Link’s hair and clothes. He turned and jogged toward her. Upon reaching her, he threw a companionable arm around her shoulders. “You’re a lot like your grandmother, and I know her pretty well. In fact, the only mystery about her is why Mavis hates phones so much.”
“That was meant as a compliment, wasn’t it?”
“Yep. Mavis is one great lady.”
“She likes you a lot, too.” He grinned, but shook his head, as if humoring a kid’s idealistic belief. “Are you aware that Grandma is hard of hearing? At home, her phone has a volume control. She keeps it on high. I answered it once and thought my ear was going to disintegrate from the shock.”
“That’s the problem?” Link rolled his eyes heavenward. “She should have said something!” He looked at the Cessna, as if seriously sprinting after it, but it’s engine was revving for take off. “I’ll call Ariel and tell her to get one for the office.” Slowly, the plane began to roll. It quickly gathered speed then lifted into the air.
Jacqueline and Link stepped out into the thin sunlight and waved. As she followed the flight path, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. Jacqueline turned toward it. For a brief moment, a man’s head and shoulders were outlined beside the log cabin. In the fleeting instant before he moved out of sight, Jacqueline noticed long scraggly hair, a beard halfway to his navel and what might be one thick eyebrow. Her entire body tensed as she leaped toward the corner.
But hands grabbed her, holding her back. “What’s wrong?” Link asked.
“I just saw the guy.”
His fingers grasping her shoulder tightened. “Where?”
She pointed. “By the northeast corner.”
“Stay here.” His determined look forestalled objections. “I’ll go check it out.” He sprinted toward the corner. Finally free, Jacqueline dashed toward the opposite one, hoping she’d catch the man or at least get a second look.
She skidded around the corner. Something jumped in front of her. Jacqueline stopped too fast and stumbled. The terrified arctic hare loped off to safety. Jacqueline landed hard on her backside, but quickly scrambled to her feet.
“I thought I told you to stay there,” Link said. She whirled around. He pointed toward the front and gave her a glaring look.
Jacqueline tilted her head and glowered back at him. “You do not have the right to tell me where to stay.”
Link closed his eyes and rubbed his neck. Then, he took a deep breath. “You don’t use miniature swords for letter openers, do you?”
“No. Why?” To her astonishment, after asking such a bizarre question, he turned his back on her and walked away. Jacqueline wanted to turn and stomp away in the opposite direction.
Instead, she stood still.
Link was being a better friend than Adam had ever been and she’d thrown his concern back in his face. She owed him. Resolved to do the right thing, she went in search of Link. She wandered into the gift shop, which was filled with furs and Athabascan beadwork. One leather shirt caught her attention. Its soft golden tan background was covered with bright, iridescent turquoise flowers and emerald leaves. It was garish, yet somehow simple.
“You like it?”
“I like the colors.” She turned to Link. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. Please accept my apology.” The heavy emotional burden lifted from her shoulders.
“I’m not your boss, nor am I in any way superior to you.” His tone sounded formal. “I was out of line.” She smiled. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
Rising on tiptoe, she kissed his chin. “Link, why didn’t you listen to Stone and go back with him?”
Link frowned. “Stone never suggested that.”
“I thought that’s what he was talking about when he took you aside.”
Link guffawed and shook his head. “He wanted to come with us. I reminded him that he had a wife and family to think about, but he claimed that didn’t matter, so I reminded him that he was supposed to be on his second honeymoon.” He shook his head. She raised a brow. “He only gave in when I told him we shouldn’t give Mavis the idea that she could run the company by herself.”
“To hear Grandma tell it, she already does.” By the look on his face, he’d taken her literally. “Link, I was joking.” She took his hand. “Seriously, she doesn’t know what she’d do without you two. She loves it when one of you has an office day, but if you haven’t figured that out, I guess she must still be having a problem hiding her emotions.” She paused. “Hungry?” He nodded.
Entering the restaurant, Jacqueline sniffed in appreciation. She scanned the menu, rejecting anything she’d eaten during the past few days. A small section listed breakfast entrees. Those powdered eggs had been inedible. Thank goodness the midnight marauder had taken them. The menu crumpled under her grip.
“What are you thinking about?” Link asked.
“Powdered eggs and coffee. Groceries. I am so stupid. I should have staked out the store instead of the dock.” He frowned. “The food burglar took basics.” She explained. “Since we’re almost certain the kayaker is my stalker, he must be the one who— ” She clamped her jaws shut tight in fury.
“Stole the stuff and he’d head straight for food,” he finished.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with my mind,” she seethed. “Food and water attract all wildlife. That’s what makes a watering hole an ideal location for observation blinds.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t think about it until a couple hours ago. Sammy said the guy was in earlier and bought dried beans. Twenty pounds of them.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Sammy figured he wanted jet propulsion.”
“Well, we wanted to learn more about him, but I’d hoped for something more significant than knowing he’s a walking methane factory.”
“Sammy said one side of his face was badly scarred. She thought it looked like an old burn and he’d grown the beard to hide it.”
Just when she’d thought it couldn’t get worse. “What if he burned the lab and Adam? What if he was actually there? What if he was Adam?”
“I don’t think anyone could grow a beard that long in the time since your lab burned,” Link said. Obviously, she had asked the question aloud. It was kind of him not to suggest her husband might be her stalker or point out that anyone could purchase a false beard.
“Let’s assume he got injured in another fire.” Link twirled the thick glass saltshaker. “Disfigurement might indicate a history of pyromania. Do you know anyone with a fire fetish?”
She swallowed. “Adam always flicked his lighter while he waited for things.”
“And you’re certain he’s dead?”
“The body was identified by dental records.”
“Is there any possibility that he switched the records?” She’d wanted to know the answer to that question for a while, but had no clue how to verify the data. Link’s expression indicated that he noticed her uncertainty. “Just for the sake of argument, let’s assume the stalker is your ex, do you have anything he’d need? Is there any reason for him to keep following you?” Her stomach rolled as she shook her head. “Was he the jealous type?” She nodded. “You think there’s any possibility the dental records could have been faked?” Link’s hand covered hers as she shook her head.
“The firemen weren’t able to get to Adam until the next morning because it was too hot.” Assuming the body was his. “I saw him go into the building and there was only one corpse. He has to be dead.” The smell of cooking beef no longer tantalized. Her stomach heaved. She thrust back the chair so hard it tipped backward.
Jacqueline barely made it to the bat
hroom in time.
After emptying her stomach, Jacqueline wrapped her arms around the porcelain as if it was a long lost lover and held on tight. But nothing could purge the awful memory of Adam’s death. Eventually, she found the strength to stand and bathe her face in cold water. The reflection seemed to waver and change into a disfigured face. The distorted image mocked her with the fact that a memory could render her helpless.
Would she ever be able to think of Adam’s fiery death unemotionally? Be able to look into flames and not have her stomach turn? Before the fire, she’d loved watching flames atop slender tapers flicker. Looking deeply into them, her imagination had wandered. They’d been like watching a beautiful sunset, which had yellow, orange and purple rays of dancing light.
Shakily, she wiped her face.
As she opened the door, the first thing she saw was Link leaning against the wall. He glowed with relief when he saw her. “Are you all right?” She nodded. “Come here.” He gathered her into his strong, protective arms and held her close. “Everything is going to be fine.” Every cell in her body ached to believe him. Link kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry; we’ll get through this together.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
He hugged her. She snuggled into Link’s arms, relishing the feeling of security. For a passing moment, she thought she could spend the rest of her life trusting his calm reassurance. But friendly hugs were only Band-Aids; they protected a hurt while it was raw, but you couldn’t wear them forever.
“I don’t feel very well,” Jacqueline said. “Would you be upset if I went back to the hotel and got some sleep?”
“I’ll come.”
“Eat your meal. I’ll be fine.” He took a step toward the door. She stopped. “Please?” Reluctantly, he nodded.
That night, she dreamed she was hobbling through velvet darkness on rubbery crutches while shadow demons swirled around her. Suddenly, her universe exploded and in one heart-pounding moment, her body blistered. Jacqueline woke drenched with sweat.
16
Early the next morning, while they loaded their gear into the remaining canoe, Link studied Jacqueline. Circles under her eyes and lethargic movements made him suspect he wasn't the only one who had awakened at every nighttime sound and there certainly had been plenty. The old creaky building had groaned like the soundtrack of the vampire movies his brothers loved. It would be good to get back to the soothing sounds of nature and fresh fish for meals. It would be even better if he knew Jacqueline’s stalker wasn’t hiding around the next bend.
Link’s gaze traveled around the rustic dock area, but he didn’t see their shaggy shadow. He didn’t know whether he felt relieved or disappointed.
Why would anyone follow a person for thousands of miles - all the way from the Lower Forty-eight, then through the wilderness - and never speak to them?
Who communicated with vague messages, twisted into silly shapes, child-like penmanship, or used an angry tone coupled with threats? Odd as his list was, he made them sound like actual items. What kind of person demanded that things be returned, but refused to meet face to face so that whatever he wanted could be exchanged?
Of course, that assumed the odd list was tangible things.
What if the person had used fire as a weapon, before? If so, that would make the fire images more sinister, especially to Jacqueline.
Rational people had their own agendas. And sometimes that agenda was to act irrational, which generally unbalanced the opposition, thus allowing them to dominate the meeting.
Except this fellow didn’t seem to want a face-to-face.
Link massaged his temples for a moment, as his thoughts circled the problem and kept coming back to the same illogical thoughts. He shook his head, then got back to securing their gear in the canoe.
In business, money was generally the primary motivator. While finances remained a strong personal goal, the objectives could get more complex than the bottom line. Jacqueline’s goal was obvious: she wanted a confrontation so she could give her fears a face; and she could get a step farther away from the terrifying unknown.
The stalker’s strategy eluded him, unless he was serious about wanting the weird list, but they’d need a rosetta stone to figure out what the odd descriptions actually meant. Did the stalker even have an agenda? Link paused after he knotted the rope and rubbed his temples.
“Don’t you feel well?” Jacqueline asked.
“What do you mean?” Link tugged the line tight.
“You keep clenching your teeth, scowling and rubbing your head.”
“Just thinking.”
She glanced around. “I guess I don’t need to ask what you were thinking about.”
“Pancakes or waffles. Sausage or bacon.” She blinked. “Breakfast,” he said. “I was trying to decide what sounded best.”
“Sure you were.”
“You don’t believe me? Food choice is a major factor, after all, this is the last meal we’ll eat in civilization for another week.”
“In that case, order one thing for me, the other for you. We’ll share.”
He grinned. “Deal.”
She handed him their water container and he secured it in the canoe. “I’d like to make another deal.”
“What kind?” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked harmless enough, but Mavis did most of the time, too and he knew just how dangerous she really was.
“Call Stone and tell him you’ve changed your mind. Have him pick you up.”
His glance flicked to her empty hands. “Only if you come with me.”
She shook her head. “This is my problem.”
“And I’m making it mine.”
“You’re trying to, but it’s not working.”
“What do you mean?” Link straightened.
“Exactly what I said. You aren’t being honest with me. You weren’t thinking about food. You were thinking about the stalker. If you insist on coming with me, you’ve got to be truthful.”
Link rose to his full height and put his hands on his hips. “That goes both ways.”
“I agree.” She spoke too quickly to have realized what he meant.
“I’ll admit that this situation worries me,” Link admitted. “Will you acknowledge your fears? Stop trying to hide your phobias?” Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. “You constantly try to conceal the things that bother you. If I hadn’t seen your face and read that note, would you have told me about your problem?” Would she now admit to the other things he’d guessed at?
She shifted from one foot to the other. “Probably not.”
“That’s what I thought. To succeed, a partnership needs trust and acceptance. I’ll tell you my inner thoughts, but you need to be more open about yours, too.” Link paused for a moment, realized what he’d said and wished he could rephrase that, but if they were to do this, it was exactly what they both needed to do. Her brow wrinkled as if his pronouncement was no more welcome to her than him. “The situation could arise when our lives depend on each other. We need to know what to expect. For instance, it makes me feel better knowing you can back me up with your handgun.”
“If you’re talking about self-defense, I studied Tai Chi.”
“That’s good to know, but I was thinking that we need to find out each other’s strengths and weaknesses, be honest about what we think and feel. I’ll try not to judge you, because I know you must have a good reason for what you do. Heaven knows that I’m not perfect.”
“You’re right.” The words sounded as if they were dragged from the depths of her soul.
“In that case, let’s get those waffles and pancakes.”
“Bacon and sausage, too.”
Link held out his hand. Unhesitatingly, she took it. Together, they walked toward the source of the intoxicating smells. He glanced down at her and saw a hint of a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. He was tempted to lean down and kiss it. Link satisfied himself with squeezing her han
d and felt a responding pressure.
“That bacon smells wonderful. I haven’t had any in ages,” she said.
“Me either.”
She looked up at him. “Really? You eat fish for breakfast even at home?”
“Actually, yes.”
She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. It was a habit he’d noticed before, and always found sensual. “I figured it was simply a camping thing. Living off the land, eating what was available.”
“Back home, we’ve got a freezer full of fish.”
She blinked and her brow furrowed. “Why?”
“For the past three or four years, I’ve been trying to catch a trophy fish. We eat all the losers.”
“So, you have a freezer full of small fry.”
“Not exactly. The state has minimum weights for each species. For instance, King Salmon must be sixty pounds. If I catch a fifty-nine-pounder, it gets set free.”
“But keep the little ole sixty-one-pounder?”
“Yep.” He held the restaurant’s door open for her.
“Do you go fishing often?”
“Not as much as I’d like to, but if I went more frequently, we’d either have to open a fish market or buy another freezer.”
“Modest, aren’t you?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
“I’d call it honest.”
“I’m sure you would.” She slid into a chair.
The waitress brought them both huge white mugs of steaming coffee. Jacqueline inhaled its aroma. “Mmm. This smells almost as good as what you make.” She put it down, though her fingertips maintained the contact. Jacqueline sighed. “I wish the stuff didn’t upset my stomach.” She pushed the cup toward the middle of the table, where it joined the salt, pepper and sugar dispenser. “Do you think Phillip will be able to find out anything?”
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