3 The Ghost at the Farm
Page 9
Thinking about commission checks, she called Bob to ask about the Collins deal. He wasn’t in, and she didn’t leave a message. She didn’t have much hope the deal would go through. Ezra Collins had been looking for a way out, and Brent had given him one.
Finally, Julie pulled out her laptop and worked on her resume. She was still working on it when Andy walked in with a bucket of fried chicken. “I brought dinner.”
“Smells good.” She saved her file and jumped up to set the table. “I’ll make dinner tomorrow night, but I’ll warn you right now, I’m not a great cook like your mother.”
He lifted the hair off her neck and she felt his warm breath tickle her there, then his soft lips settled in a gentle kiss. “You have other interesting qualities,” he murmured.
Turning to face him, she tapped her lips. “You missed.”
His smile started in his eyes and spread to his mouth. “So I did.”
The second kiss didn’t miss.
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In an effort to find where Andy Kane lived, Brent used his computer to search the county property records. He didn’t find Andy or Andrew Kane in the records, which meant he didn’t own property in River County. He found Donovan and Hannah Kane listed, though. They owned a house on Livingston Avenue. It was the only property listed under their name, so they most likely lived there. Andy Kane was a successful architect. He wouldn’t live with his parents, would he? Better check out the mayor’s house just to be sure.
He searched the records for Charlie or Charles Kane and again didn’t find any listings, but he did find William Goodman Kane’s name listed several times. He and Kayla Kane owned a house on River Road on the east end of town. What in the hell did William Kane do for a living to afford a house out there? There wasn’t a house along the river on that side of town worth less than two million. Did the Kane family have money? No, that wasn’t likely. Donovan Kane had come up through the ranks in the police department, and everyone knew cops didn’t make that much. Even the police chief didn’t make enough to live out on River Road.
He looked at the map to find the addresses of the other properties William Kane owned. Two apartment buildings. One condo. Brent recognized the address on the condo. The River View Condominium complex had an open house when they were built a couple years ago, and Brent toured the models then. They were classy luxury condos designed for singles and working couples. The units had one or two bedrooms or two bedrooms and a study, and they all overlooked the river and the city. If he hadn’t been living with his mother at the time, he might have bought one for himself.
Andy Kane must live in the condo or in one of the apartments. It wouldn’t hurt to do a little drive-by surveillance of those properties, see if he could spot Andy Kane. Or Julie.
She’d better not be with him.
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After dinner, Andy took Julie grocery shopping. On the way home, she pointed to the condo parking lot. “Andy, I think that’s Brent’s car.”
Andy slowed and took note of the license plate, then drove around the block, calling his father as he drove. “Can you check out a license plate number for me?”
“Why?”
“I think Brent Bosch is in the parking lot at the condo.”
“He’s there now?”
“He was a minute ago. Hang on. I’m driving around the block.” Seconds later, Andy scanned the parking lot again. Brent’s car was nowhere in sight. “He’s gone.”
“I’ll call it in and then call Billy. I don’t want Bosch breaking in out there.”
Andy didn’t want him breaking in anywhere. If he broke into Dad’s house, he could get himself shot. Billy didn’t have any weapons around because of the kids, but if Billy found that creep in his house, he’d beat the crap out of him. Andy had a gun, but he didn’t like the idea of shooting someone, even a creep like Bosch.
He pulled into the garage and lowered the door behind them. “Julie, how did he find the condo?”
“Probably from the county property records. He must have been looking for property owned by anyone with the last name of Kane. I’m surprised he didn’t do it days ago. Or maybe he did. Maybe he’s known all along where I was.”
“Damn!” How could he work on the farm and leave Julie here alone with that creep hanging around?
Was it his responsibility to keep coming to her rescue? He didn’t really know her. Aside from meeting her that one time in his office, he’d never even seen her before that night in the bar. Was that only three days ago? He’d never met Brent, yet he’d hit him without hesitation when he realized what the guy was doing. That night, he felt like a knight in shining armor. Now he wasn’t sure what to think, but the lady intrigued him. He wanted to hold her and protect her and make love to her.
Hitting Brent was a Charlie kind of thing. Calling the police would have been an Andy thing, but when he saw the distress in Julie’s eyes, he didn’t think. Brent was hurting her, and Andy snapped. If he’d known Julie would cut her arm, he would have tried to reason with him instead of hitting him.
He carried the groceries inside and helped Julie put them away. She was moving better, and she’d stopped taking the pain pills. Her arm was healing. Maybe she’d go away soon and he wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore. Only he would worry. She had him tied in knots.
Why in the hell would a beautiful, intelligent woman like Julie date Brent Bosch? Was she after his money? From what Dad said, the guy was loaded. Was she really that shallow? Or had Bosch behaved himself when she started seeing him?
Andy had gone to college with a guy who treated his girlfriend badly, but she was too weak or too scared to walk away. Or maybe he wouldn’t let her leave. Everyone steered clear of him, especially the girls. There was something about him, something one girl called “the creep factor,” that made everyone uncomfortable. Yet he’d found this shy freshman and turned on the charm. After he caught his girl flirting with another student, he beat her, broke some ribs and blackened both eyes. He went to jail for assault and was thrown out of college. The girl dropped out of school.
He knew Julie wanted to break it off with Brent that night at the bar, but Brent wouldn’t let her go. Maybe she’d decided he didn’t have enough money to make it worthwhile. And maybe she’d just had enough.
The parallels with Julie and his great-great-grandmother were interesting. They both got involved with violent men. Charity was only sixteen when she married Calvin Taylor, and she didn’t know until her wedding night what he was really like. Cal beat her often in the ensuing years. She knew he’d find her and kill her if she left him, so she didn’t have much choice back then except to stay and endure the abuse.
If Julie married Brent, he’d probably treat her the same way Cal had treated Charity. But Julie wasn’t an innocent young girl. She knew better than to marry an abusive man.
Frustrated with himself for getting in the middle of Julie’s trouble with Brent, Andy excused himself and went into his study to work on a plan for a new farmhouse.
Julie saw Andy plowing his hands through his hair and pacing in his study and knew he was frustrated with her for intruding in his life. Not that she could blame him. When he brought her home from the hospital Friday evening, he didn’t know he was bringing home trouble.
If she stayed until the farm closed, she’d be here two more weeks, and every day she stayed increased the chances of Brent finding her. If he found her with another man, Brent wouldn’t just hurt her. He’d hurt the man, too.
No matter what he did to her, she couldn’t let him hurt Andy.
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Andy woke Julie early the next morning. “C’mon, sleepyhead. I want you to come to the farm with me this morning.”
She rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”
“It’s early, but I don’t want to leave you here alone in case—”
“I know, I know.”
“I’ll load up Otis’s groceries while you get dressed. We’ll get breakfast after we pick up Charlie.”
Andy hadn’t shaved again that morning, and his beard came in thick and dark, with a reddish tinge. He looked like he’d be at home on a Harley, with his faded jeans and dark blue T-shirt.
“Now I see why my grandfather went to bed at eight every night,” she said on a yawn.
Andy stopped in the alley behind Livingston Avenue and Charlie jumped into the backseat. “Is it morning yet?”
“Almost,” Andy replied. “Is Dad free today?”
“He said he’d be out with Trevor this afternoon, and Mom will bring lunch. She said to tell you the hospice nurse will be out this afternoon around three.”
“That was fast.”
“Not really,” said Charlie. “Mom spent most of the afternoon yesterday on the phone, talking to the doctor’s office and the hospice people. She said the old man couldn’t wait, that there’s no need for him to suffer. He needs help managing the pain.”
Julie sighed. “Poor Otis.”
Andy rubbed his hand over the wheel. “Makes me glad Pop died in his sleep.”
Julie glanced over her shoulder at Charlie. “What did he die of?”
“Old age,” Charlie and Andy said together.
Andy drove through a fast food restaurant and ordered enough food to feed a small village, and they drove on out to the farm.
“Where’s Otis?” Charlie asked.
“I’ll go check on him,” said Julie.
Andy shoved a bag into her hand. “Give Otis one of these. We’ll be right there with the groceries.”
Julie took the bag and ran to the barn. Otis wasn’t there, so she continued to the single-wide mobile home behind the barn. She tapped on the door, but no one answered, so she opened the unlocked door and walked inside. Otis lay on the sofa. “Otis, are you all right?”
“I had a bad night.” He pushed himself into a sitting position.
She sat beside him. “I brought you some breakfast. Do you drink coffee?”
He waved toward the little kitchen. “Coffee maker is on the counter, coffee in the refrigerator.”
Andy and Charlie came in with groceries and put them on the table. “I’ll put them away,” said Julie. “And I’ll help Otis clean up for the hospice nurse. She’ll be out this afternoon.”
“Thanks,” said Otis. “I’m not good for much today.”
“Eat your breakfast while I make a pot of coffee,” said Julie.
Charlie took a bag from Andy’s hand and opened a breakfast wrap. Four bites later, it was gone and he started on his second one. Julie shook her head. “Slow down, Charlie.”
“I’m hungry.”
Otis bit into his breakfast. “Tastes mighty good, but one is enough for me.”
“Me, too,” said Julie. The old man looked gray, and his eyes were dull with pain. He didn’t smell very good either. She wondered how long it had been since he’d had a bath and changed his clothes. He’d worn the same thing every time she’d seen him.
Andy caught her eye and shook his head slightly. “Otis, we’re looking for a place to hide Julie from her ex-boyfriend. Would it be all right if she stays here with you while we work?”
“Sure.”
Julie poured a cup of coffee and brought it to Otis. “Do you need a pain pill?”
He nodded. “They’re in the bedroom, beside the bed. Bottle’s almost empty.”
She walked into the bedroom and Andy followed. “Will you be all right here today?”
“I’ll be okay, Andy. Otis needs clean sheets on the bed, and did you look in the refrigerator? Everything in there is rotten. He needs someone to take care of him.”
Andy wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t overdo it and hurt your arm. Save the hard stuff for Mom.”
“Okay.” She drank in the smell and feel of the man holding her. “One of these days we’ll have to try out that hayloft in the barn.”
The soft, deep rumble of laughter started in his chest and worked its way up and out his mouth. “You are one helluva woman.”
“In case you were wondering, I never slept with Brent.”
“But you’d sleep with me?”
A smile pulled at her face and her arms wrapped around his waist. “The right man could persuade me.”
“Otis?”
She smacked his arm and he laughed again.
After Charlie and Andy left, Julie sat on the sofa with Otis and asked if he’d mind if she washed the sheets on his bed.
“Mind? No, ma’am. The washer’s on the back porch of the house. You’ll have to turn the water on.”
She stripped the bed and gathered the piles of dirty clothes from the bathroom and bedroom and took them to the house, where she started a load of clothes washing. Then she returned to the trailer and washed out the refrigerator. By the time she put the clothes in the dryer, Otis was sound asleep on the sofa.
Because of the limited use of her left arm, it took her longer to do things, but by eleven, she had the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom clean, the bed made with fresh sheets, a load of Otis’s clean clothes folded on the dresser, and the blankets in the dryer.
Andy popped in a couple times on his way to deliver the corn, but they didn’t stop to talk. He seemed preoccupied.
Otis stirred. “I need a shower before that nurse gets here, if I can stand up long enough.”
“I saw some plastic chairs in the barn. Why don’t we put one of those in the shower?”
He nodded. “Good idea. You’re a smart girl.”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
He smiled. “I wish I’d had a daughter like you.”
“What a nice thing to say.”
She retrieved one of the chairs from the barn, put it in the shower, and hung some clean clothes on the back of the door. “You’re all set.”
While he was in the shower, she sat down to rest. Her arm throbbed. She’d overdone it this morning. She still couldn’t stretch it all the way out or bend the elbow very far, but it was getting better.
The shower turned off, and a few minutes later, Otis came out, hair dripping, wearing clean clothes. Julie grabbed a towel from the basket of clean clothes, and when he dropped into a chair, she rubbed his head. He was shaking. Poor man belonged in a hospital, where there were doctors and nurses to take care of him.
Hannah tapped on the door. “Julie? Otis? I brought lunch.”
Otis looked up at Julie. “Would you mind getting me another one of those pills?”
“Sure, but the bottle says you need to eat something with them.”
“Okay, I’ll eat something.” He glanced at Hannah. “Feels good to have somebody fuss over me for a change. The girl here has been taking real good care of me this morning.”
Hannah gave Julie a warm smile. “She’s a good person.”
“Yes, ma’am, she sure is.”
Otis didn’t complain much, but he was a very sick man. Julie hoped he lived long enough to sign the papers on the farm. If he didn’t, it could take years to straighten out the legal mess.
Julie excused herself to go outside with her cell phone. Under the circumstances, maybe the escrow people could put a rush on things.
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Andy’s body worked as if on auto-pilot while his mind took him back to 1918.
Andrew and Paulina were in the hayloft at her farm, all hot and sweaty. He had his pants open and her skirt pushed up when her daddy caught them.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“We want to get married, Daddy. Andy said—”
“I don’t care what in the hell he said. No daughter of mine is going to marry a man with a deformed foot.”
Paulina burst into tears. “But Daddy, I love him.”
Andrew
’s erection shriveled and he buttoned his pants. “I love her, Mr. Smith.”
“You can’t farm. Hell, you can’t even serve in the Army with a bum foot, and I don’t want my grandchildren limping around.”
“I don’t have to farm,” Andrew said. “I build houses in town, and that pays better than farming.” But that wasn’t the point, was it? Paulina was the Smiths’ only daughter, their only child. Her father wanted her to marry someone who’d help him on the farm, who’d keep it going when he passed on. He didn’t want a son-in-law who couldn’t handle the work.
Paulina sobbed like her heart was breaking.
Her father said, “Get off my farm and don’t come back, Jefferson. I don’t want you seeing my daughter again. Goddam cripple ruining my daughter. I oughta have you arrested for what you’ve done.”
Andrew turned to Paulina. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t go,” she cried.
“I have to.” He scrambled down the ladder, jumped on the old plow horse, and rode home, wondering what her father would think if he knew Paulina was the one who wanted to have sex in the hayloft, and it wasn’t the first time.
Andy shook off the vision. He could still smell Paulina’s hair and taste her sweet lips. Would Andrew have become a farmer if Paulina’s father let her marry him? Would his children have inherited his club foot?
Andy froze. Was that one of the issues?
Was Paulina pregnant?
Chapter Nine
The air hung heavy and hot in the bright sunshine when the men came in from the field for lunch. There was no cooling breeze to stir the air, and Otis’s little mobile home didn’t have air-conditioning. Julie’s clothes stuck to her damp skin.
Andy didn’t even acknowledge her presence. Had she said or done something wrong? Or had he had another vision? She watched him walk up to the back porch of the house, limping, and she had her answer. He wasn’t Andy, he was Andrew, and his alter-ego didn’t know her. Coming to the farm every day triggered more visions. Maybe those visions would help him figure out what he was supposed to do, but from what she’d seen so far, all the visions did was upset him.