An Impromptu Proposal

by Carla Cassidy

  Chapter Nine

  “Want to go to lunch?” Margie peered into Colleen’s office.

  Colleen gestured to the files strewn across the top of her desk. “Better not. As usual, I’m behind.”

  Margie grinned slyly. “You’d get more work done if you didn’t spend so much time staring off into space.” She paused a moment, gazing at Colleen in speculation. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were lovesick.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Colleen scoffed, inwardly cursing the blush that warmed her cheeks. “I’ve just had so much on my mind the last couple of days.”

  “Did you get that security system installed?” Margie asked.

  Colleen nodded. “They finished it yesterday. I feel like I’m living in Fort Knox.”

  “If you feel safe, that’s all that’s important.” Margie looked at her watch. “I’m going to scoot out and get a sandwich. I’ll lock the door as I leave, and I’ll be back in about thirty minutes.” With a wiggle of fingers, Margie left Colleen’s doorway, and a moment later Colleen heard the main office door open and close.

  Leaning back in her chair, Colleen closed her eyes and expelled a deep, weary sigh. It had been two days since she’d left the houseboat, and in those two days she’d had all the locks on the duplex changed and a full security system installed. She felt safe again…safe and alone.

  She got up from her desk and went to the window, staring out in the direction of the marina. Gideon. There had been few minutes in the past two days that he hadn’t been on her mind, in her heart.

  She’d heard nothing from him, assumed he was no closer to finding the whereabouts of Sam than he had been on the day she’d hired him. Although disappointed, she wasn’t surprised by the lack of clues. She was beginning to realize that the quest to find Sam had been an obsession because there was nothing else in her life. When her father had been murdered and Sam had disappeared, Colleen had put what personal life she had on hold.

  More than that, she had begun to realize that in the space of time after her divorce from Jesse and before the murder of her father, she had leaned too heavily on Sam. She’d used her brother and his family to fill up the lonely spaces inside her. It had taken her feelings for Gideon to make her realize how empty her life had been.

  Turning away from the window, she sighed again. Margie had been right. She was lovesick. She was sick from loving a man incapable of returning her love.

  Remembering Gideon’s caresses that last night created a bittersweet pain in her heart. At least he’d been honest with her. He’d never pretended to want anything more than her fee. He’d been truthful in telling her he might like making love to her, not because he loved her, but to somehow get back at the ex-wife who’d hurt him.

  “Colleen, you have a miserable penchant for falling in love with the wrong man,” she said aloud. Returning to her desk, she shoved the thought aside and instead focused her attention on the files in front of her.

  She’d only been working a few minutes when she heard a light rap on the outer office door. Assuming it was Margie returning from lunch, she hurried to let her in.

  “Oh,” she squeaked in surprise as she opened the door and saw Gideon standing in the midday sunshine. “I thought you were Margie.”

  “Nah. She’s shorter than me and wears more dresses.”

  Colleen laughed, trying to ignore the burst of warmth that radiated through her as she gazed at him. “What are you doing here? Do you have something for me?”

  “More questions.” The smile that had initially curved his lips when she opened the door disappeared behind a frown.

  “Come on into my office.” As he stepped inside, she carefully locked the outer door behind him.

  “I’m glad to see you’re being careful, playing it safe.” His eyes were dark, emotionless, making her wonder if she’d only imagined the passion glazing them that last night she’d been at his houseboat.

  She nodded, schooling her thoughts to the here and now. “I’ve also had a security system installed at the duplex,” she said as she led him into her private office.

  He sank down in the chair directly in front of her desk and waited for her to get settled. “I’m sorry to say I have nothing to report on Sam, although I’ve managed to obtain copies of police reports and now know that at one time he was in Casey’s Corners, Kansas. There hasn’t been a sighting or a clue where he might have gone after that.”

  Colleen shoved the files on her desk to one side, unsurprised by his words. “I just wish I knew where he was, what he was doing.”

  “Well, being wanted for murder is a pretty compelling reason for staying in hiding,” Gideon observed dryly.

  “I think it goes beyond that. I really believe if that was the only thing going on, Sam would be here, fighting to clear his name.” She leaned back in the chair thoughtfully. “Sam isn’t a coward. He faces his problems, his feelings, head-on. He wouldn’t run just because he’s wanted by the police. There has to be something else going on.” She focused her attention on Gideon. “You said you had some questions?”

  He nodded. “I haven’t been able to get those letters and numbers on the back of your necklace out of my mind. I’ve checked for safety-deposit boxes, secret bank accounts…but nothing indicates what those numbers are for. They’ve got to mean something, and I’ve racked my brain trying to figure it out.” He leaned forward in the chair, his brow furrowed in thought.

  Colleen fought her impulse to shove her chair back, away from his familiar scent. What she really wanted to do was fall into his arms, tell him she didn’t care if he wanted her money. It didn’t matter if he wanted to use her for his own brand of revenge. She just wanted him to hold her, kiss her, pretend to love her for a moment.

  She stood up, angry with herself and her thoughts. “So, what have you come up with?”

  “I’d like to take a look at your father’s personal papers, financial records, anything that might give us a clue as to what those numbers and letters mean. Surely your father left records behind. Do you know where they might be? Who might have them now?”

  Colleen frowned. “I imagine most of those things are still in Daddy’s apartment. Initially the police wanted to see everything, but they returned it. I believe Carolyn put them all back in the apartment.”

  “Your father had an apartment? I thought he had an estate in the Hamptons.”

  “He does. That’s our family home. But he also kept an apartment in Manhattan, not far from the Baker Enterprises headquarters.” She paused, feeling his tension as he stood up.

  “Can you take me there? Do you have a key to get in?”

  “Sure, I have a key. When do you want to go?”

  “As soon as possible. Now.”

  “I can’t go now,” she protested. “It’s the middle of the workday.” She bent over her desk and studied her afternoon schedule. “I could get away by three.”

  “I’ll pick you up then.”

  As he walked out of her office, she followed close behind, half resenting the fact that he could be so professional, so coolly detached from her. As they reached the main door, he turned to her. “It might be wise if you don’t wait for me on the bench outside.”

  “Don’t worry. I never make the same mistake twice,” she said dryly.

  “Three o’clock,” he reminded her, then turned and walked away.

  She watched him until he disappeared from her view. She closed the door and locked it, her heart aching with the weight of her love. She’d lied when she told him she didn’t make mistakes twice. Twice in her lifetime, she’d managed to fall in love with men who apparently didn’t have the capacity to love her back.

  Gideon decided to go to the houseboat and wait for three o’clock to arrive. He was anxious to see Joseph Baker’s personal papers. Somehow, he knew the necklaces were tied to the murder and therefore to Sam’s disappearance.

  Eddy was waiting for him, sitting on one of the deck chairs. He stood up as Gideon approached, as usual
his face lit with a full smile. “Hey, Gideon,” he greeted cheerfully. “Been working the case?”

  “Sort of,” Gideon answered, unsurprised when Eddy followed him inside. He went directly to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. Popping the top, he sat down at the table, wishing Eddy away, wanting the next couple hours alone to mentally prepare himself for spending time with Colleen.

  “So, what have you got lined up for me to do?” Eddy asked as he slid into the seat opposite Gideon.

  Gideon took a deep swallow of beer and gazed at Eddy in irritation. “Don’t you have any friends your own age? Surely you can find something better to do than hang out here with me.”

  Eddy’s smile wavered in uncertainty. “But I like hanging out here with you.”

  Frustration gnawed at Gideon. The frustration of choices he had made, easy decisions that had required no courage, choices that had kept him safe, isolated and without emotional risk. “Look around Eddy. Is this what you want for yourself—the kind of life I lead?” He slammed his beer can on the table, causing Eddy to jump in surprise. “You want to spend your days delving into other people’s lives because you have no life of your own? You want to live on a half-sinking boat because you don’t know when your next pay is coming in or how far it will have to stretch?”

  “But, Gideon…I think you’re great,” Eddy said, his ears pinkened by the confession.

  “Go home, Eddy,” Gideon replied flatly. “Go home and figure out a way to make a success of your life.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the kid, who stared at him with adoring eyes. He jerked up from his chair and went to the window, his back to the boy still seated at the table. “Don’t try to be like me, Eddy. Be better than me.”

  “But, Gideon…”

  He whirled around to face the teenager. “Let me tell you the truth about Gideon Graves. You probably haven’t heard, but they call me the fallen angel of Long Island. I was asked to leave the police force because they thought I was a dirty cop. I decided to be a private investigator because I don’t know how to do anything else. I’m a loser, Eddy, not a role model. Now get the hell out of here, and don’t come back.”

  Eddy jumped up from the table, his face ashen. “I’ll go, Gideon,” he said, his voice trembling as he backed toward the door. “I don’t want to be a bother. But you should know, I heard the story about you a long time ago. I didn’t believe it when I first heard it, and I don’t believe it now. There’s no way you were a dirty cop.” Without waiting for Gideon’s reply, he turned and ran out the door.

  Gideon fought his impulse to run after him, knowing this was for the best. Eddy needed to think of his future, and the future was filled with golden opportunities for an enthusiastic, bright teen. Eddy’s future couldn’t be found here, and Gideon cared too deeply about the kid to allow him to remain. Better this way. Better Eddy hate him and move on with his life.

  As he moved to the kitchen table, once again the silence surrounded him, engulfed him. He remained seated at the table until it was time to meet Colleen.

  As he drove to the social services office, he once again turned the mystery of the necklaces over in his mind. He hoped they would find some answers hidden in Joseph Baker’s private papers.

  He consciously refused to think about Colleen, unwilling to analyze his feelings where she was concerned. He didn’t want to remember how right she had felt in his arms, didn’t want to dwell on how quickly she had responded to his touch, how passionately she’d returned his kisses. He didn’t want to think about how desperately he’d wanted to make love to her.

  Passion, that’s all he felt for her. Passion and desire. It was only natural. After all, it had been a little over three years since he’d been with a woman. His desire had been on hold for too long. It was no wonder she’d managed to spark a flame inside him. Any attractive woman would have probably been able to do the same thing.

  Maybe it was time he found some flashy bimbo. He smiled humorlessly as he remembered Colleen telling him that was probably his type of woman. “I wonder if Magnum ever had these problems,” he muttered irritably as he pulled his car against the curb in front of Colleen’s office building.

  He didn’t even have time to shut off the engine before she came out. He tightened his hands on the steering wheel as he saw the way the late afternoon sunshine shone in her hair, picking up mahogany highlights he hadn’t noticed before. She opened the passenger door and slid inside, bringing with her the sweet scent of flowers and flashing a length of nylonclad leg.

  “Where to?” he asked curtly.

  “Central Park,” she replied as she fastened her seat belt.

  He pulled away from the curb and for the next half hour neither of them spoke. That’s one thing Gideon had to give her—unlike some women, she knew the value of silence, didn’t seem to have a compulsion to fill each space with meaningless conversation.

  Still, as the silence lingered it seemed to grow, filling the car. He cast a glance in her direction, wondering what she was thinking. Her face was turned toward the passenger window, giving him only the view of her profile. The sun streaming in the window painted her features with a lustrous golden light. His stomach clenched and his hands tightened on the steering wheel.

  “Busy afternoon?” he finally said, unable to stand the silence any longer.

  “Worse than some, better than others,” she replied. She stirred in the seat, finally turned to face him. “I guess you had a busy afternoon.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “What makes you think so?”

  “Eddy came to see me.”

  Although there was no censure in her words, no judgment at all, a burst of shame shot through Gideon. “It was time the kid heard some hard truths,” he said defensively.

  She stared at him for a long moment. “It’s a shame you can see the truth in everything but yourself.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked brusquely.

  She shook her head. “Never mind, Gideon. Eddy will be fine. He loves you, and nothing you can do or say to him will change that.” She looked out the window. “Don’t worry, his love doesn’t cost you a thing, either financially or emotionally.”

  A vast, hollow emptiness swept through him at her words. He felt the need to say something, but no words formed in his head. He didn’t know how to answer.

  The silence grew once again, accompanying them for the remainder of the ride. The traffic was heavy, further increasing the knot of tension in Gideon’s stomach. Colleen navigated him into the private underground parking area of the lush apartment building overlooking Central Park.

  “None of us has been here since just after Daddy’s funeral,” she said as they rode up the elevator to the nineteenth floor.

  He hadn’t considered how difficult coming here might be for her. Stress lined her face, making her look fragile, vulnerable, and he fought the impulse to gather her in his arms. “Are you okay with this?”

  She hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Yes. I just hope we find some answers here.”

  When they reached the apartment, she unlocked the door and drew a deep breath. Stale air greeted them as they walked inside.

  Colleen immediately went to the windows and opened the curtains to let in the early evening sunshine. As she did that, Gideon looked around with interest. It was obvious the apartment had been left undisturbed for a long time. Dust covered the tops of the wooden furniture, and there was a general aura of abandonment.

  “Why have you all kept this place?” he asked.

  Colleen turned from the window, her gaze darting around the room as if she’d never seen it before. “I’m not sure. Daddy spent more time here than anyplace else.” She sank down on the maroon and navy striped sofa. “For a long time it was too painful to think about coming here and sorting through his personal things. It was easier to just pay the rent each month.”

  She got up and walked over to a handsome bookcase where dozens of leather-bound books were neatly aligned. “Daddy coll
ected books, but I never saw him take the time to relax and read. He worked too hard, probably figured one day he’d retire and have time to do all the things he wanted to do.”

  Turning to Gideon, she drew in a deep breath and swallowed hard. She looked fragile, with the sheen of tears in her eyes and her lower lip trembling with emotion. “Come on, let’s get this over with,” she said.

  Beckoning him to follow, she led him into a huge bedroom. On the large desk that occupied one portion of one wall sat a computer. Nearby on the floor was a large box of paperwork.

  “These are all Daddy’s records,” Colleen said as she lifted the box off the floor and onto the desk top. “I can’t imagine what can possibly be in here to help us. The police had all this stuff and didn’t find anything they thought related to the murder.”

  “But the police didn’t know about the necklaces,” Gideon reminded her. He pointed to the computer. “May I?”

  She nodded, standing behind him as he sat at the desk and turned on the computer. More than anything Gideon wanted some answers and was surprised to realize he didn’t want them for himself. He wanted answers for Colleen.

  Minutes passed as Gideon worked on the computer, checking directories, calling up files, trying to find something, anything to relate why Joseph Baker had bought four necklaces and had numbers and letters engraved on the backs.

  While he worked, he was conscious of Colleen as she walked around the room, pacing behind him. Never could he remember being so attuned to the nuances of a woman, the sound of her breathing, the whispered rustle of her clothing, the tiny sighs that escaped her from time to time.

  The evening sunlight disappeared and she turned on the lights to ward off the darkness of night. It was nearly eight o’clock when Gideon discovered a hidden file.

  “Colleen, there’s a file here that isn’t named,” he said, trying to keep his excitement out of his voice.

  She walked over and stood directly behind him, a hand on his shoulder. “What does that mean?”