He walked to the door and banged on the thick steel designed to keep him inside. This wasn’t a mental ward –it was a prison. Through the barred window, he peered down the corridor. “Hello? Anybody there?”
He banged again, but still no answer.
He slumped his head against the cool steel, but that didn’t help in simmering his temper.
He squeezed his eyes closed. Hold on, Kendra. I’m coming as soon as I can find a way to get out of here.
The squeaky hinges of the entrance to the bedrooms echoed through the hall. The soft pad of nurse’s shoes overrode the beat of his heart. “Hello,” he called again, searching the narrow path.
When the nurse stopped in front of his door, he sighed. Thank goodness it was Carrie, the only nurse he trusted in this hellhole. After a year of being placed in this facility, he’d made friends with the cute, young nurse. Thankfully, he still had retained his charm, because he got her to believe his innocence. Unfortunately, nobody else would. If it weren’t for Carrie, he wouldn’t have been able to do what he’d accomplished so far.
“Hi, Joshua. You have a visitor again this evening.”
He widened his eyes, the tightness in his chest beginning to disappear. “I do?”
“Yes.” She unlocked the door.
He stepped out and wanted to heave a sigh of relief but held it inside for now. “Is it my cousin, Kendra?”
She shook her head. “No. There’s an older Hispanic woman and a middle-aged man who looks like Elton John.”
Panic settled back in his heart. He didn’t recognize her brief description of the woman, but the man…that could only be one person. Kendra’s assistant, George.
Hurrying his steps to get to them, Carrie almost had to run beside him to catch up. When she unlocked the door going into the game room, and he noticed the man, his heart clenched. It was George, and Terrel’s housekeeper, Lucinda.
What are they doing here? Will George recognize me?
This really wasn’t the time he wanted the truth to come out, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter. Then it struck him and he caught his breath. Kendra. Something was definitely wrong.
Deciding not to act insane in front of the hospital faculty this time, he rushed to Lucinda. Tears swam in her eyes and she bit her knuckles. Her gaze swept over him and little by little color left her face.
“Ay, Díos mío,” she muttered. “Estas vivo!”
Joshua touched her shoulder. “Yes, I’m alive.” He glanced at Kendra’s assistant. “George, what’s happened?”
The man sucked in his breath. “You know me?”
“Yes.”
A sob tore from George’s throat. He covered his hand over his mouth and shook his head. Joshua didn’t have time for this. He needed answers now.
“What’s happened to Kendra?”
All at once, Lucinda began mumbling, some words in English some in Spanish, and George blubbered like a fool, making it almost impossible to follow the conversation either of them were having.
Joshua held up his hand. “Please slow down. I don’t understand.”
Lucinda wiped her wet eyes. “It is Kendra. Mr. Montgomery has taken her.”
For a quick second, all energy left him, and he swayed. Grabbing the back of the nearest chair for support, he breathed slow, trying to regain control. He squeezed his eyes closed and scrambled for an idea. But in the end, there was only one thing to do to save Kendra.
He needed to escape...again.
He looked back at Lucinda. “Do you know where he’s taken her?”
“Sí.”
“Will you take me there?”
Her eyes widened. “But Señor Montgomery, you are in here.”
He fisted his hands. “Not for long.”
George reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Wait.”
“What?”
“Are you...Eli?”
Joshua nodded. “I am...but how did you guess?”
George wiped his wet eyes. “Joshua didn’t know Kendra well enough to care for her this much. But Eli did.” He withdrew a silk blue handkerchief and dabbed his nose. “I can tell you really love her.”
“I do. And I’ll do anything to protect her.” Joshua turned and hurried toward the nurse, Carrie. The closer he came, the wider her eyes opened. Before he could say anything, she held up her hands and shook her head.
“No, Joshua,” she whispered. “I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is no. I’ll lose my job this time. Dr. Goodwin is back from vacation and he’ll know. I’m surprised they didn’t find out about this last time.”
He grasped her hands. “Dr. Goodwin may not work here much longer. Kendra’s father is having the doctor checked into. I have a feeling he’ll be staying in his own padded room for a while.”
She bit her bottom lip and glanced around the room. “But Joshua, look at those guards over there. They will stop me…us. They are three times stronger than we are.” She shook her head. “This time it won’t work, I just know it.”
He surveyed the room. There had to be something they could do. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head and he swung his gaze back to Carrie. “Fake a heart attack.”
She arched a brow. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Clutch your chest and fall to the floor. Pretend you’re having problems breathing.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. Do it, but give me the keys to the front door first.”
Her hand opened and closed over the large set of silver keys, her eyebrows drawing together.
“Carrie, you know I’m not crazy. I’ve done nothing wrong. In a few short weeks all of this will be in the open.” He touched her shoulder. “I won’t let you lose your job. Once I take over as the president of Montgomery Aisle, I’ll have control again, and I’ll be in the position to help you better.” He squeezed his hand over her shoulder. “Please believe me.”
Slowly she brought the keys to him and dropped them in his hand. “You know I’ve never believed you were crazy.”
He smiled. “Thanks.”
She nodded. “Now go save the woman you love.”
Joshua moved away and motioned his head for Lucinda and George to follow. They took slow steps toward the exit. Joshua kept his eyes on the nearest guard, praying Carrie’s little scene would work.
Within minutes Carrie’s cry echoed through the room, then came a loud gasp for air. A strong clunk made the floor shake briefly as she fell. Just as he’d hoped, all the guards ran to her. He didn’t waste any time in hurrying to the door and slipping the key inside. George and Lucinda watched for any signs of trouble, ready to warn him, but so far, there weren’t any.
When they reached outside, they all made a mad dash to George’s car. “Let me drive,” Joshua shouted.
George didn’t question, but threw the keys to him.
Once they were all inside and buckled, Joshua stomped on the gas pedal, squealing tires as he drove them out of there. All the way out of the parking lot, Lucinda and George kept their gazes out of the windows as they watched for guards. It was as if luck were on his side, because they made it to the freeway without any problems.
After a while passed of nothing but silence, George leaned forward from the back seat and looked at Joshua through the rearview mirror. “Why didn’t you tell Kendra?”
Joshua glanced at the assistant then moved his attention back to the road. “You mean tell Kendra that Joshua and Eli are the same person?”
“Yes.”
He sighed heavily, inwardly cursing. It had been haunting him for a few days now. How could he explain things to her if he couldn’t understand them himself?
“Because I never thought things would get this far.” He shook his head. “During the five years I’ve been locked away, I’ve escaped a few times. Each escape, I tried to find someone to believe my story. Nobody would. They believed Terrel’s story, instead. Terrel found out about my escapes and had Dr. Goodwin torture me.” He shuddered,
not wanting to remember the kind of punishments that man had put him through. “Anyway, one day I found a book in the institution’s library. It was the story Kendra’s father wrote. That was when the idea of future-man struck me. If Kendra thought I was a man from the future, maybe, just maybe, it might work. She wouldn’t think I was a man who’d escaped the mental hospital like everyone else had thought.”
He paused and chuckled. “Maybe I am crazy.” He glanced in the mirror at George’s wide eyes. “Do you think she’ll hate me when I tell her the truth?”
George shrugged. “Eli swept her off her feet like no other man had done. She was deeply saddened when Eli left because she didn’t think your love was meant to be. Maybe she’ll be thrilled to see you again, and maybe she’ll hate you when she realizes you’ve tricked her.”
Joshua gritted his teeth. “But I didn’t mean to trick her,” he bit out. “I was desperate to find someone to help me. I needed to convince someone to help me before I knew I needed to be back in the hospital. Doctor Goodwin went on vacation, and I had to be back before he came back or else he would drug me again.”
George patted his shoulder. “I’m sure everything will work out with you and Kendra.”
Joshua smiled, but not fully. “Thanks, George. You’re a good friend to Kendra.”
Lucinda directed him to the house she’d driven by when following Terrel. As they passed by and she pointed it out, he sucked in a quick breath. “Lucinda? Do you know who lives there?”
“No. I saw Señor Terrel take Kendra away, so I followed. Do you know who lives here?”
“Tina LaRousse.”
Both Lucinda and George gasped simultaneously. Anger lines popped in George’s forehead. “Why, that little tramp. She has always coveted Kendra’s designs. Now she is coveting Kendra’s fiancé.”
Joshua arched his eyebrow.
George quickly cleared his throat. “I mean her ex-fiance. I wonder why Terrel is dealing with the likes of her?”
Joshua chuckled. “Little Miss Tina LaRousse was one of Terrel’s early drug friends. Before my father died, Tina and a handful of others like her partied with Terrel all the time. That was before she became big in the fashion world, of course.”
George huffed. “Did you know Tina ships some of her designs to California and Hawaii?” He leaned back in the seat and folded his arms. “I still can’t understand why they think her designs are better than Kendra’s.”
“I can.” Joshua met the other man’s gaze through the rearview mirror again. “Because of Terrel’s drug trafficking business, that’s why. I bet you a million dollars she sews the bags of cocaine in the hems of her dresses.”
George gasped and covered his mouth. “Are you kidding?” he muttered.
Joshua chuckled and nodded. “I wish I was.”
He drove to the end of the block and stopped. Resting his wrists on the steering wheel, he took a deep breath. “Now...what are we going to do?”
George puffed out his chest. “Give me two minutes alone with that LaRousse, and I’ll take care of her.”
Joshua held back a laugh. By the heat sparking in the assistant’s eyes, Joshua had no doubt the man would carry through with his threat.
From the passenger’s seat, Lucinda released a shriek and pointed out the window. “Look, there’s Miss LaRousse now.”
He swiveled his head and looked behind him toward her house. Tina, dressed in regular blue jeans tight enough to have been painted on, and a pink belly-shirt, strutted out to her car and climbed in. While she backed out of the driveway, Joshua’s smile widened.
Perfect timing!
* * * *
When the door closed downstairs, Kendra sighed in relief. At least no harm would come to her while Tina was out of the house. And Terrel was probably in some ridiculous meeting trying to figure out a way to blackmail someone. Probably her father. She rolled her eyes. Terrel had always been selfish and devious. Why hadn’t she seen that before now?
She sat upright on the bed and struggled with the ropes on her wrists, but Terrel had fastened them too tightly. Her skin burned from the effort it took to release them, yet she hadn’t been able to budge them an inch.
Fresh tears gathered in her eyes, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying aloud. Terrel had been correct when he’d called her weak. Not only physical, but lately she’d been an emotional mess. She’d never liked arguing, and she’d been foolish enough to let Terrel walk all over her.
She gritted her teeth. But no longer. If she ever got out of here alive, she’d make sure Terrel was put behind bars where he belonged.
The sound of a downstairs door opening snapped her out of her thoughts. Her heart sank. Tina must be back. But when her name was called by a familiar voice, her heart leapt to life.
“I’m up here.”
“Kendra?” The tone grew louder.
“Up in the attic,” she screamed.
“I’m coming, Kendra.”
She shook her head, trying to clear it out. Why did it sound like Eli? Couldn’t be.
Heavy footsteps boomed on the stairs and she jumped to a standing position. “I’m here,” she called out.
The doorknob rattled as someone shook it. “Kendra, are you in there?”
It was Eli!
Chapter Eleven
Kendra’s heart bounced with excitement and she hopped to the door. “Eli, is that you?”
There was a pause on the other side for a brief moment, then came his voice again. “No, it’s me, Joshua.”
She gasped. “Joshua? How did you get out?”
“There’s no time for questions. George and Lucinda are with me. We need to get out of here before Tina returns.”
“The door’s locked. You’ll have to break it down.”
“Then step away from the door.”
The door rattled as he bumped into it, but it remained closed. Another set of footsteps sounded on the stairs. A familiar voice joined Joshua’s.
“Let me help you with that door.”
She smiled. George.
After three more bangs, the door busted open. George frowned while he rubbed his shoulder, but Joshua stepped into the room, still in the clothes the institution provided for him. And barefoot. For a brief second, she remembered this was how Eli looked when she first saw him, except he wore black instead of the gray Joshua had on.
She smiled through her tears. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you.”
Joshua took her in his arms and hugged her tight, kissing her forehead. “Not as happy as I am.” He pulled away and struggled with the ropes at her wrists. George knelt in front of her and worked loose the ones at her ankles.
“How did you know where to find me?”
Joshua grinned. “Lucinda. She saw Terrel take you away, so she followed him.”
She sighed heavily. “Thank the Lord for that woman.”
Once they removed the ropes, she wrapped her arms around Joshua and embraced him, laying her head against his chest. The rhythm of his heart beat as fast as hers. She smiled, finally feeling a little comfort from the day’s strenuous activities. She didn’t want to analyze why she felt so safe with him. Not now. She’d deal with her confusion later.
He kissed her head again. “As much as I’d like to do nothing but stand here and hold you, we’d better get out of here.”
She looked up at him. Why did he say that? Perhaps Joshua did have strong feelings for her. Once again, she pushed away the confusion.
“I think Terrel has a shipment of drugs going out tonight. Because Tina is involved, it might have something to do with her designs,” she said.
“I’m sure it does.”
“But we need to catch them in the act. That will get Terrel put away for good.”
He smiled and stroked her cheek. Warmth spread throughout her, awakening tingles only Eli had stirred. Although confusing, she didn’t try to push the emotions aside. She cuddled her face against his hand. Very nice.
“But we d
on’t know where it’ll happen,” he said.
“We do now,” Lucinda said.
All heads turned toward the housekeeper’s voice at the bottom of the stairs...and next to her stood Tina. The Hispanic woman had a clump of Tina’s hair in her fist, the other hand grasped Tina’s arm. The once very beautiful designer now whimpered and crumpled her face in pain, resembling an old hag perfectly.
George gasped and flew down the stairs to help hold the struggling woman.
Joshua left Kendra’s side and took slow steps down the stairs toward Tina. He shook his head. “Why did I ever believe you’d change?”
Tina glared at him. “My, my, look who escaped the nut house.”
“I finally found people to believe my story.” He shrugged. “Guess you and your druggie lover are going down.”
She snickered. “Don’t count on it, Joshua. Terrel has connections you’ll never have as president of Montgomery Aisle.”
“I don’t want those kinds of connections, thank you very much.” He stopped in front of her and folded his arms. “Besides, once we catch Terrel and put him away, then where will you be?” He shook his head. “What will happen to your designing business then?”
She scowled, her eyes turning darker as she glared at him. “Nothing will happen to me, Joshua, because you can’t prove a thing.”
Kendra hurried down the stairs and stood next to Joshua. “I bet if we had her warehouse searched this very night, the police would find some incriminating evidence.”
Tina’s eyes widened and her face lost color.
Kendra grinned. “I think we’ve hit the nail on the head, don’t you agree, Joshua?”
He chuckled. “Yes I do.” He glanced at George. “You and Lucinda take her into the other room and watch her closely. I’m going to see if I can find some clothes to change into.” He picked at his hospital garb. “I think people might get the wrong impression if I go around wearing this.” Joshua looked back at Tina. “Does Terrel still keep some of his clothes in your room?”
Crazy For You Page 10
