"What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "He wanted your attention. The harder it is for him to get it, the greater the chance he'll trip up and Ted can be there to snag him."
She thought about that for a moment. "I never thought of it that way. I hope you're right. Even though I know Dale is down there screening each caller, it will be a long time before that creep isn't in the back of my mind every time those call buttons light up."
"Having him behind bars might help, too."
"That's good advice," she said, glancing down at the timer and adjusting her headset back into place. "You know, you better be careful or you just might end up on the radio."
"Don't even think about it," he warned, the thought alone causing every muscle in his body to tense up.
But she merely smiled and held up one hand, counting down. "Five, four, three…"
Switch flipped.
"And we're back."
* * *
"Hold on a minute, I want to put some more wood on the fire. I'm freezing."
"What? You're breaking up."
Cell phone service at the top of the mountain was sketchy and weak at best. "I'll be right back," Kristin said again, louder this time. "I'm freezing. I'm going to put more wood on the fire."
"Careful now," Nancy warned between the bursts of static. "Don't give me any hints now. Your whereabouts are a matter of national security these days."
"Very funny," Kristin scoffed, pulled the blanket over her shoulders and set the cell phone down next to her laptop. She ran quickly across the frigid floor, loaded up the stove with wood, then ran back to the table. "Okay, I'm back."
"Let's see, it's mid-March, sixty-eight degrees around here and you're freezing. Do I take that to mean you are no longer in the Greater Los Angeles Area?"
"You were the one who didn't want any hints," Kristin reminded her. "Top secret, remember?"
"I think you've watched—"
A loud blast of static drowned out Nancy's voice. "Hello?" Kristin shouted. "Are you still there? Nancy? You there?"
"What was that?"
"This cell phone is doing weird things."
"You want to hang up and call me back on a land-line?"
Kristin hesitated. Letting Nancy know she was without traditional telephone service might be too much information for her to have. "That might be a little difficult."
"No phone in your room?"
Kristin laughed as a distraction. "You're getting no clues from me. Top—"
"Secret, I know, I know," Nancy conceded, cutting her off. "And like I started to say before, I think you've watched one too many James Bond movies."
"I just like being mysterious," Kristin joked.
"Well, wherever you are, though, I take it you're doing all right? You sound good, your spirits certainly appear high."
"I'm doing okay. Going just a little stir-crazy maybe, but doing fine otherwise."
"Well, try and take advantage of the downtime," Nancy advised. "Rest, relax, destress a little. God knows you could use it."
"I'm trying. And Cindy and Ted are due back tomorrow. I'll feel better when I can talk to my sister again," Kristin confessed, pulling the blanket up close around her shoulders. "And things will be much better now that I can do the show again. Did you listen last night?"
"Of course, and I have to say, my dear, you amaze me."
"It sounded okay then?"
"Are you kidding? It sounded great. I'm jealous. I didn't even get a full week on the air."
Kristin smiled, pleased. "I was a little worried how it would go, working remotely and all. So many things to go wrong. The timing between here and the station had to be just right."
"Well, from where I listened, which was cuddled up in my bed, it certainly sounded as though everything was. Actually, it sounded remarkably normal. You sure you didn't sneak back into the studio? That this whole remote thing isn't just an elaborate ruse?"
"Don't I wish." Kristin laughed, but she had to admit, the cramped broadcast booth at the radio station held little appeal compared to the unbelievable view of that remarkable night sky from the tower. "But it sounded that good?"
"I don't think anyone could even tell there'd been a change."
Kristin let out a sigh. "That's a relief. I know Jake spent a lot of time on the radio—" She stopped suddenly. Knowing the only communications from the tower were weak cell phone reception and two-way radio might be more information than was safe for Nancy to have. "He spent a lot of time talking with Dale, coordinating things."
"Ah yes, Jake, the ex-cop. How is our mystery man?"
Kristin felt her cheeks flush with color. "He's hardly a mystery man."
"He is to me. Who is this guy anyway? He seemed to come out of nowhere and sweep you up and disappear with you into the sunset."
"I told you, he's an old friend of Ted's. They used to work together."
"But the question is, is he a friend of yours now, or is that top secret too?"
Kristin was grateful she could control the sound of her voice, because she seemed to have none over the heat that continued to burn her cheeks. "I hardly think he is interested in my friendship."
"Why, is there a Mrs. Ex-cop?"
"No, although I do believe there is an ex–Mrs. Ex-cop. I just feel like I'm a bit of an imposition for him, having me around all the time."
"Oh really," Nancy mused. "You two not getting along?"
"It's not that. He's been a perfect gentleman."
"Maybe that's the problem."
"Oh, stop," Kristin chided her. "I guess I'm a little uncomfortable, that's all. He became involved as a favor to Ted. I feel a little like he got roped into something he really didn't want to do."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Nancy said. "There's nothing a man likes more than to come to the aid of a damsel in distress. He's probably loving it."
"I just hope it won't be for much longer."
"Any word from the police?"
"Not really. I called one of the detectives yesterday, but he didn't have much to report. Hopefully I'll get some information once Ted gets back." Kristin leaned back in the wooden chair, peering out the small window. The sun was bright, sending a beam of light darting across the wooden floor. "Have you had a chance to go by and see Tori?"
"No, not yet, poor thing. From what I hear they're still not allowing many visitors. But she is supposed to be doing better."
"Thank God." Kristin closed her eyes and heaved a big sigh. "Oh, Nancy, I hope they find him. I hope they find him and make him pay for what he did to her." She stopped, opening her eyes and giving her head a shake. "When I think about it…"
"Well, don't," Nancy advised when Kristin's words drifted. "It only upsets you."
"I'm upset. And I'm angry. Look what this guy has done, look how many lives he's affected with his sickness."
"Well, with any luck it will all be over soon and then we can all get on with our lives."
Kristin took another deep breath. "I hope you're right."
"And in the meantime, you just concentrate on doing the show and staying safe. I've got an appointment later this week with the client you've been concerned about. Let me work with her for a while, get a feel for what we're up against and then we can discuss the situation."
"Sounds good, and, Nance, I hope you know how much I appreciate all your help—with the clients and filling in on the show. It means a lot."
"Hey, we've been friends for a long time and what are friends for?" Nancy said after a moment. "I gotta run now. Talk to you later in the week?"
"Absolutely."
Kristin clicked off her cell phone and thought for a moment. What are friends for? It was a perfectly normal phrase, one she had heard hundreds of times before. Just…
She set the phone down next to the computer and pushed herself away from the table. Just not from Nancy. Their professional relationship had been good for them both. It had just never been particularly personal.
Hiking the blanket up
, she shuffled to the window and peered out. It was silly but she felt oddly emotional. Maybe it took extraordinary circumstances for people to realize what was really important in their lives. It wasn't like Nancy to be sentimental. Knowing she thought enough of their friendship to mention it was rather touching.
She watched as a gust of wind blew a cloud of dust up and across the driveway. It was a beautiful morning—clear and cold—but there hadn't been a bad one in the week that she'd been there. Eagle's Eye was a very special place. Its vast, pristine beauty held a peace, making the world and all its problems seem far enough away not to matter. It seemed impossible after less than a week, but it almost felt as though the whole nightmare of the last eight months had happened somewhere else—to someone else. She was beginning to understand what had attracted Jake to a place like this.
Jake. She wasn't sure she would have been able to get through last night if he hadn't been there. Despite all her experience, she had been nervous about the broadcast, nervous about whether she could get back into the swing again after all that had happened. But he'd been there with her every step of the way, helping, supporting. So why, after he'd been so nice, was she dreading seeing him again?
She closed her eyes for a moment. They had stayed up in the tower long after the broadcast had ended, talking. It must have been because she'd been riding so high after they'd gone off the air, because she'd been so pleased at how well things had gone, that had started her talking. The truth was, she hadn't been able to shut up. She was embarrassed now thinking about how she'd gone on and on about one thing or another. What had she been thinking?
Of course, it hadn't helped that he'd been just a little too easy to talk to. Besides, he had been so helpful during the broadcast, so willing to help, and after long days and six very long nights of trying to stay out of his way, it had just felt so great to talk to him again.
She groaned, remembering how she had chattered on. Conversations like that were simply too dangerous and she needed to be more careful. She couldn't afford to feel that comfortable with the man, to reveal too much of herself to him. It made her vulnerable and the last thing she wanted was to be vulnerable to a man again.
She thought of Jake and how he had watched her as she worked. His knowledge of the program and how it operated had been obvious and she didn't doubt he'd been telling her the truth when he'd said he listened on a regular basis.
The thought seemed to form somewhere in a dark corner of her subconscious, disturbing and unpleasant. It had probably been there before but somehow she'd managed to push it aside and not think about it, but remembering the conversation, recalling how much she had enjoyed herself, it suddenly burst like a rocket into the forefront of her brain. Exactly what had he been doing last night? What had been his intention in drawing her out? Did he want something from her? Or did he want something from Jane Streeter?
She caught sight of a little squirrel as it scurried across the driveway, darting over a massive boulder and up the side of the tower. Was it the past coming back to haunt her or was she just being overly suspicious? She couldn't afford to be naïve, but at the same time it would be egotistical for her to overstate just how impressed he was by her. Cindy had always said that since Blake she had become jaded and cynical when it came to men and their motives, but she had disagreed. She had told herself she was just being smart, just protecting herself from falling into the same trap, from making the same mistake all over again. So, was she being jaded to wonder why? Was it unreasonable to question his motives? Was she just being paranoid to wonder if it was really her he'd wanted to talk to last night, or was he really caught up with some fantasy he had about a radio personality?
But the disturbing thoughts scattered when Jake suddenly appeared from around the corner of the tower. He must have just gotten out of the shower, because his hair was wet and clung close to his head, and a picture flashed momentarily in her mind of soap suds on wet skin.
"For crying out loud, Kristin," she scolded herself, disgusted. "What are you doing?" Only, as she spoke, her breath had made little patches of fog along the glass. "Oh no!" She winced, quickly rubbing at the moisture with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Except, Jake caught sight of the movement in the window, causing him to look up. Thinking she had waved to him, he gave her a wave back. "Oh my God!" she gasped, realizing now he was starting across the driveway toward her room. "He's coming over here. He's coming over here."
Panic was swift, immediate and caught her completely off guard. She stepped back away from the window, her heel catching the end of the blanket and throwing off her balance. Her arms flailed about in a desperate attempt to regain her balance, but the backward momentum was simply too great. After a few wild steps to the rear, she landed on the floor with a thud.
She groaned as a dull pain radiated up her spine. For a millisecond, she almost wondered if she'd cracked her tailbone, but she had far more pressing issues to worry about at the moment. She could hear him on the stairs and realized to her horror that she not only hadn't brushed her hair or had a lick of makeup on, she hadn't even brushed her teeth yet.
Kristin scrambled to her feet, ignoring the dull throb emanating from the region of her bottom, and tossed off the blanket. All she could think about was getting into the bathroom and to her makeup bag before he made his way to the door. It was probably because she was so distracted that she didn't bother to look where she was going, and when her foot hit the other end of the blanket at top speed, it sent her one leg shooting forward and she ended up in a quasi-splits maneuver that even the most adept gymnast would have envied.
"Good morning," Jake called from the other side of the door.
"I'll…I'll be right there," Kristin shouted, struggling to her feet and taking a few hesitant steps forward. The muscles in her leg and groin protested with every step and her bottom didn't feel much better. "Will you get a hold of yourself?" she muttered, under her breath. By the time she hobbled to the door and opened it, she felt completely undone and utterly stupid. "Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. Come on in."
"Thanks," he said, stepping across the threshold and closing the door behind him. "I saw you waving from the window. Did you need something?"
"What? Oh, no," she insisted, all too aware of the wrinkled T-shirt and sloppy sweats she had on. "No, I was just…"
Just what, she thought. Just watching him?
Giving her head a small shake, she hobbled back across the room. "Just saying good morning."
"Oh," he said with a nod, his gaze narrowing. "You okay?"
"Of course," she said in a voice just a little too high to be believable. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason, I just thought you seemed a little out of breath."
"No, no," she insisted, pushing her hair back with the shake of her head. "I'm fine."
"Well, that's good," he said, smiling. "Actually, I was a little surprised to see you up so early. You had a big night last night, doing the show and everything. Thought you might want to sleep in."
The blanket was still in a heap on the floor and she snatched it as she walked by. "No," she said, holding the blanket in front of her with one hand and doing what she could to push her hair into shape with the other. "A little too much adrenaline, I guess."
"That's good."
"It is?"
"It's just that I'm planning on making a trip down to Vega Flats this morning. Maybe you'd like to ride along?"
"You mean now?"
"Well, not this minute," he said with a smile. "Whenever you're ready."
"Oh, uh, okay, sure," she said quickly.
Just then the blanket started to drop but as she reached out to grab it, her bottom bumped painfully against the edge of the table, upsetting the cup resting there and sending coffee spilling in all directions.
"Ouch!" she groaned, reaching behind her to her sore bottom only to discover a stream of coffee was now making a beeline for the laptop. "Oh my gosh!" she shrieked, desperately looking around for something to sop up t
he flow. She could hardly believe what was happening. Things had gone from bad to worse and her mind had shut down completely. She was absolutely stumped as to what to do. She just stood there, watching the coffee inch closer and closer to the computer, when Jake calmly reached down with a paper towel and dammed the stream.
"You sure there's nothing the matter?" he asked again.
She stared down at the table and watched as the paper towel absorbed the brown liquid. What sort of nightmare had she gotten herself into? She'd been fumbling around and acting like some sort of slapstick clown ever since she saw him walk around the corner.
"Everything's fine," she lied. "I'm fine." But she wasn't fine—wasn't fine at all! Her bum was sore, her leg ached and she felt really, really stupid.
"So in a half hour maybe?"
"Hmm—what?"
"Vega Flats," he reminded her, picking up the loaded paper towel and tossing it into the trash. He pulled another off the roll on the counter. "That give you enough time?"
"Oh sure, yes, that would be fine," she said, trying to snap herself back to sense. "I-I'll be ready."
He had finished wiping up the last of the coffee and headed for the door. "It's usually a little warmer down the mountain, but I'd still bring a jacket."
"Okay, I will," she said, watching him as he walked outside and pulled the door closed behind him. "What kind of an idiot have I turned into?" she said under her breath as she wadded up the blanket and tossed it onto the bed. He may not have witnessed the acrobatic stunts she'd just performed, but that didn't matter. She wasn't sure she could have felt any more embarrassed if he had. "Of course you could always try, Kristin," she muttered dryly, disgusted. "I have faith in you. Maybe next time you could try knocking yourself out. I'm sure that would really impress him."
How was it that in the space of a few short minutes her lazy morning had turned into such a circus act? She hadn't fumbled and fallen all over herself in…in forever. What was it about Jake Hayes that reduced her to idiot status? She was supposed to be a mature, professional business-woman. But something happened to her when she came into proximity of that man, something that had her acting stupid, talking stupid and feeling stupid.
Night Talk Page 11
