Only the phone books were gone.
Panic left her standing there, squeezing the empty water bottle. A gap marked the space on the shelf where the phone books should have been. Acid fear gnawed her stomach lining. Someone didn’t want her calling the lawyer.
Hayley took several more deep breaths. She would not panic. Whoever wanted the phone books could keep them. That wouldn’t stop her from talking to the lawyer. She wouldn’t let it stop her. She didn’t need telephone books. She could get his number by calling information.
Except there was no dial tone.
Teetering on the brink of hysteria, Hayley strove for calm. Cowering in fear wasn’t going to help a thing. This was a deliberate attack. Someone wanted her to panic. That was the one thing she mustn’t do. How many times had her grandfather told her that the best defense was a strong offense?
She could control this suffocating fear. She would control it. If the person had wanted to physically hurt her, he could have done so easily while she was asleep and defenseless. Later, she’d worry about how she could have slept through someone moving around the room like this. Right now she needed to think. This was a game of nerves and she was determined to come out the winner.
I’m not some tragic figure seeking belated justice.
Had Bram been lying?
She didn’t want to believe that. So she wouldn’t. Did she have the nerve to go and talk to him again? Just the thought of stepping outside this room was scary. Out there waited someone who was trying to make her crazy—and coming uncomfortably close to succeeding.
Hayley exhaled hard and shoved back a tangle of hair that had fallen forward. “They can only win if I let them. And I won’t!”
She turned off the light and stepped into the hall. Across from her, the living room looked like a vast, dark cavern filled with deep, shadowy menace.
“Imagination is Leigh’s department, remember?” she whispered.
Was her sister really in London? Or in New York?
No. Hayley wasn’t going to consider the second possibility. Leigh had promised to call her back tonight, but the phone was out of order. Hayley needed to calm down and concentrate, only she wasn’t sure she could do either one. Her mind kept racing.
Muted light drew her toward the kitchen. Her stomach reminded her that it was on empty, and she was terribly thirsty again.
She’d start by facing Mrs. Norwhich’s displeasure. She could ask why the woman had been in such a hurry to clean her grandfather’s office.
But it was Marcus, not Mrs. Norwhich, who stood at the counter drinking a bottle of water and eating a slice of pie.
“I didn’t realize it was you,” she said uneasily when he looked up as she entered. “I thought it would be Mrs. Norwhich.”
“She went to bed,” Marcus said around a mouthful of pie.
“What time is it?”
He squinted at his watch. “Almost nine.”
She’d slept away the entire afternoon and evening? What was wrong with her? Truly frightened, she tried to breathe slowly. Marcus finished his bottle of water and opened a second one. When he didn’t offer her any, she opened the refrigerator and helped herself. He watched her in silence.
“We need to talk,” she told him as she twisted off the cap.
“I’ve got nothing to say to you.” He finished the pie and set his plate in the sink.
“You never do,” she said sadly, “but this time you don’t have a choice. I’m going to talk to the lawyer tonight about the house. I want you to stop Bram from putting any more bars on the windows.”
“No.”
“You have no right. You know you don’t. This is my house.”
Hayley shuddered at his expression. Cold and as gray as death, his eyes practically glowed with hatred. For the first time, she was truly frightened of the man who was her father.
“You think so, little girl?” He advanced toward her. “So uppity. A real Hart, aren’t you? Harts never learn, do they?” He lowered his voice, the menace even stronger now. “You should, you know. I could snap your neck like a twig.” His fingers flexed. A trace of spittle ran from the corner of his mouth.
“What’s going on here?” Eden demanded from behind them. “Marcus?”
Hayley nearly sagged in relief.
Marcus faced his wife without losing any of his anger. “I should have got rid of the lot,” he said emphatically.
Eden crossed to the counter, picked up his water and held it out to him. She didn’t appear concerned by the crazy expression on her husband’s face. “Your show starts in a few minutes.”
He snatched the bottle from her hand. “Then you deal with her.”
“I will.”
Marcus muttered under his breath as he disappeared around the corner. Eden eyed Hayley with lips pursed in disapproval. “I won’t have you upsetting him. Your father isn’t well.”
“He’s insane, Eden! That isn’t dementia. He’s truly crazy. And he’s dangerous.”
“He’s tired,” Eden countered. “You upset him. He was doing quite well until you arrived.”
“How can you say that? He’s turning Heartskeep into a fortress! And he’s violent!”
Eden sniffed dismissively. She walked to the counter to wipe away some imaginary crumbs. “You’re overreacting, Hayley. I suppose you came in here wanting something to eat now that everything’s cleaned up and Mrs. Norwhich went to her room for the night.”
Baffled by the woman’s reaction, Hayley strove for calm, but she couldn’t entirely suppress the shock that still edged her voice. Eden was going to ignore the whole scene. Hayley couldn’t let her do that. “Didn’t you hear him? What doctor is Marcus seeing? I want to talk to the man.”
Eden whipped around, holding the dish towel in her fist. “Why?”
“Because as his daughter, I need to know exactly what is wrong with him.”
“I am perfectly capable of looking after my husband.”
“Are you? If you hadn’t come in just now, I honestly believe he would have struck me. I intend to find out what’s going on around here,” Hayley continued. “Let’s start with who has copies of the master keys to the inside door locks.”
“What are you talking about?”
Was that a trace of fear? “Someone cleaned my grandfather’s office tonight.”
“So what? That is why I employ Paula and Mrs. Norwhich.”
“Did you give them passkeys to all the rooms?”
“Why are you dithering about passkeys?”
“Because the office was locked, but someone entered anyhow.”
“There are several doors to that room,” Eden reminded her haughtily.
“I know. Three. They were all locked. I locked them myself.”
Eden’s eyes narrowed. Hayley couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but her dislike of Eden was increasing with each passing minute.
“Was something taken?” Eden demanded.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, the telephone books.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Now there’s a major crime. I’ll have Paula arrested right away. Did it ever dawn on you someone might have wanted them to look up a number?”
“Both of them?”
“Hayley, if you need the phone books, knock on Paula’s door and tell her so.”
“You told me she didn’t live in.”
“I convinced her to move into the room next to Mrs. Norwhich yesterday. She isn’t reliable at the best of times, and I want her right here where I can supervise.”
The thought of ghostly Paula Kerstairs living in the house with them was unnerving, but Hayley decided to deal with that issue later. “You’re missing the point, Eden. The phone books aren’t important. They won’t do anyone much good tonight anyhow, since the phone is dead. What’s important is how sh—”
“What are you talking about? When did we lose the telephone? I just made a call a short time ago.” Eden strode to the wall phone and lifted it. Glaring at Hayley, she thrust the receiver
in her face. “There’s nothing wrong with this telephone.”
Hayley’s stomach tightened another notch. She could hear the dial tone humming loudly. “There’s no dial tone on the one in the office,” she said weakly.
Eden shook her head in disgust. “Really, Hayley, you’re becoming as paranoid and bizarre as your father. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. They do say mental disorders tend to run in families.” Eden replaced the instrument smugly.
Hayley decided not to let those disquieting words get to her. But a tiny niggling fear began stirring at the back of her mind all the same.
“What would you call your own behavior this morning, Eden?” she demanded. “I’d say it was pretty bizarre, as well. Crouching down and following Marcus into the maze. I saw you, you know.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Eden put so much disdain in her voice Hayley didn’t know what to think.
“I’m starting to wonder if you’re as insane as your father,” Eden continued. “Look at you! You’re a mess! Jacob told me how strangely you’ve been acting since you got here. For your information, I wasn’t in the garden at all this morning. It was much too hot to go running around outside. And I never go into the mazes.” She shuddered.
“But you did. I followed you, Eden. I heard what Marcus said to you. Are you blackmailing him?”
“What?” Eden looked truly astounded. “What exactly did you hear?”
“Marcus said he wasn’t going to pay you another dime.”
Eden’s demeanor changed once more. For a minute, she looked thoughtful, almost as if she’d forgotten about Hayley. Then she looked directly at her. “You listen to me, Hayley. Stop trying to cause trouble. I promise you, you’ll be sorry if you don’t.”
She pivoted, striding briskly past the walk-in pantry. Hayley heard the distinctive snick of the pantry door shutting tightly.
Someone was hiding in there!
Chapter Nine
Hayley forced herself to open the door. Paula or Mrs. Norwhich might be hiding inside, embarrassed to come out after being trapped into listening to a private family quarrel. But even without hitting the light switch, Hayley could see the pantry yawned, deep and empty.
But she’d heard the door close! She knew she had!
They do say mental disorders tend to run in families.
“There you are, Hayley,” Jacob called out, cheerfully bounding into the kitchen. “I’ve been looking all over for you. You missed dinner. Your car’s still out front and I—” He blinked rapidly. “What happened to you? You look…” He stopped, clearly trying to find a kind way to tell her she was a mess.
Hayley pushed at her tangled hair self-consciously while trying to slow the slamming of her heart. Jacob looked so reassuringly normal—even if his usually cheerful face frowned at the sight of her.
“A woman should never fall asleep with wet hair,” she explained. Adding a smile was beyond her capabilities at the moment.
“Uh, is something wrong, Hayley? You look…you know, upset about something.”
“I just had a disturbing conversation with Marcus and then your mother.”
Jacob groaned. “Now what has my mother done? Honestly, if we weren’t related I’d be tempted to strangle her at times. She means well, Hayley, but she’s extremely protective of your father, especially since he’s been…you know, not quite himself lately. Look, why don’t you sit down and tell me what happened while I fix you something to eat.”
“No. Thanks just the same but…”
Jacob came forward with an expression she recognized.
No. Please. Not now. Her mind was spinning. She could not possibly deal with an amorous Jacob right now.
“I don’t mind. Really. I like doing things for you, Hayley.” His voice lowered seductively. “In fact, I’d like to do a lot of things for you.”
“Jacob, no. Please. I can’t deal with—”
“I’ve been thinking about this for some time now. Why don’t we get married?”
The question exploded into the air, without any warning whatsoever. The absurdity of it made her gasp out loud. “What?”
“We’ve got lots in common,” he added quickly, “besides impossible parents. We like a lot of the same things, including each other. No, don’t interrupt, hear me out. I’m worried about you, Hayley. You’ve been acting really, uh, stressed since you got here. I think you need someone to take care of you. You’ve always been the strong one. Why not give me a chance to play that role?”
“Jacob, stop it! This is crazy.”
“No, it isn’t. You must know I’ve been half in love with you since we were little kids.”
“No. No!” She pushed his hands away when he tried to draw her into an embrace. He dropped his arms to his sides. Breathing was suddenly difficult for Hayley. Thinking was even harder.
“I didn’t mean to upset you again. I’m rushing you, aren’t I? I’m sorry, Hayley. It’s just that I’ve been waiting so long to tell you how I really feel. You can be pretty intimidating, you know? I promise I’ll take things a little slower, but at least consider it. Give me a chance. I really do care about you.”
Too many shocks. She was on overload.
“I can’t…I’ll talk to you later. Good night, Jacob.”
“Hayley, wait. You haven’t eaten anything yet.”
Hayley fled around the corner. The door to Paula Kerstairs’s room snapped closed. Hayley raced up the stairs to the safety of her room, locking the door behind her.
“But this room isn’t safe. Nowhere is safe,” she said aloud. “Not when someone has keys to get inside each room.”
Surveying the bedroom, she grabbed the chair from her desk and shoved it under the doorknob. It wouldn’t stop anyone determined to get inside, but she didn’t think Jacob would break down her door.
But he could come in through Leigh’s room! Hayley flew through the connecting bathroom and used Leigh’s chair to block that door, as well. Jacob rapped on her door, calling her. Hayley stood there, waiting. To her surprise, he didn’t try her sister’s door. As the minutes passed, she realized she could hear him talking to someone in the hall. Eden, no doubt. Her room was on the other side of Hayley’s.
And Hayley realized she was breathing as if she’d just run two miles. What was the matter with her? Jacob hadn’t attacked her. Why was she cowering in here?
She clutched her stomach and rocked silently back and forth. Jacob had just proposed to her. It was unreal. They’d grown up together. He’d spend a lot of time around the house when they were kids and his mother was working. The whole idea was insane.
Okay. His offer had come out of nowhere. So deal with it. She’d been handling the male of the species for years without resorting to hiding in her room.
Slowly, she gathered the strength to move away from the door. A glimpse of her reflection in the bathroom mirror made her cringe. How could Jacob or anyone else be interested in her at the moment? She was an utter disaster.
Stripping off her clothing, she locked both bathroom doors and turned on the shower. The warm water took a long time to penetrate the chills quaking through her. The growling of her empty stomach finally sent her reaching for a towel. As she worked a comb through the wet snarls of her hair, she couldn’t help thinking the shorter style in the picture she’d found had much to recommend it. The cute, simple wedge style looked easy to manage. Maybe Hayley would give it a try.
If Marcus didn’t kill her first.
She shook off that crazy thought and tried to keep her mind a blank, then realized she needed Bram. He was an anchor in a world gone mad. She had to make him understand that she hadn’t really believed he was here for revenge.
Hayley pulled a lime print skirt from her closet. She was reaching for a bra to go under the matching T-shirt when she hesitated. She dropped the bra, refusing to think about her sudden decision as she pulled the shirt quickly over her head. If he wouldn’t listen, maybe she could show him that she t
rusted him.
Pausing to listen at her door, she slipped into the hall and hurried down the back stairs. There was a waiting silence about the house that was unnerving. The kitchen was mercifully empty and dark save for the light over the stove. Hayley didn’t need much light to raid her own kitchen.
Her stomach growled in happy assent as she munched on a cracker, quietly stuffing crackers and cheese into a plastic bag. Slipping out the back door, she remembered too late that she hadn’t thought to bring along a flashlight.
Too bad. She wasn’t going back inside to get one. In fact, unless Bram turned her down cold—and he might—she wasn’t going back inside tonight for any reason. She actually felt safer out here where the night was alive with the reassuring sounds of insects and small animals getting on with their lives. Hayley hurried along the remembered path, her gaze fixed on the distant glow from Bram’s forge.
She wasn’t surprised he was working. It made a whole lot more sense to work at night. The temperature had dropped with the sun and there was a slight breeze coming in off the Hudson River. It was a simple, dark summer night, the sort she used to enjoy once upon a time.
Short of the clearing Hayley paused, fascinated anew by the sight of him at work. Bram wore a pair of ragged, cutoff jeans, shoes and the heavy gloves he needed to handle the hot metal. His broad chest was totally bare and glistening with moisture as he pounded a large metal rod with fierce concentration—as if his life depended on each precise fall of the hammer.
He was magnificent, a man at the height of perfection. Hayley savored the sight, trying to commit every detail to memory. His bared muscles bunched and flowed with the energy and rhythm of his work. An unruly lock of hair drifted over one eye. He forced it back absently with a forearm.
Hayley’s body stirred as it had the first time she’d seen him. The difference was she now understood the burning need inside her. This was a man she could never dominate. He would meet the challenges she presented head-on.
The Firstborn Page 14
