Glancing at the stormy heavens, Marie watched the flashes behind the rapidly moving clouds and felt a few huge drops hit her face as she sent up another wordless prayer. Where was Seth? Would he just run off and leave her if he could help it? Of course not. Either something had drawn him away or he’d been forcibly taken the same way Roy had been. Neither notion was acceptable.
More important, she couldn’t simply stand there, exposed and vulnerable, and continue to make herself an easy target for both her enemies and the lightning, which was now illuminating the entire sky.
But what could she do? Where could she go? It was at least half a mile to their motel, and if they tried to walk to their room, they’d be totally defenseless and probably also get soaked before they arrived.
At her wit’s end, Marie held Patty close and looked around again, hoping for ideas. Seth’s pickup. Her refuge was right under her nose! She’d climb into that truck with Patty, lock the doors, hunker down and wait for Seth and Babe to return.
Satisfied that she’d chosen the only logical course of action, she grasped the nearest door handle.
It didn’t budge.
Neither did the one on the other side.
In all the confusion, both doors had somehow gotten locked!
SEVEN
Al was wiry and agile, but he was running out of steam by the time he reached the car where his two partners waited. He dove into the backseat, then quickly slammed the door.
Frank was behind the wheel. Startled, he jumped and swiveled his thick neck. “Did you check out that blue car? Is it them?”
“I think so,” Al answered, looking from Frank to Earl. “I was about to get a closer look when the guy that works there showed up.”
Earl’s already furrowed brow squeezed tighter, and he peered at Al through thick glasses. “At this time of night? In this rotten weather? Why?”
“Beats me. But he had a woman and a kid with him.”
It was Frank’s turn again. “Roy’s woman?”
“Couldn’t tell. And don’t you two go gangin’ up on me. I was about to grab the kid, just in case, but when I opened the door to his truck, a stupid dog almost took my arm off.”
“So, what now?”
“Floor it and let’s get out of here,” Al said, still breathless. “The guy from the garage was on my tail till I crossed the street and lost him.”
“Then what’s the hurry? We can just wait till he gives up, then go back to check that car the way you should have in the first place,” Frank said.
“Not if that lousy dog has managed to track me.” Al raised up enough to peek through the rain-streaked window. “We know where the car is. If it does belong to the Parnell woman, it’s not going anywhere. I saw to that when I fouled her gas tank.”
He suddenly ducked. “They’re coming this way. I saw the dog. Just floor it, will you, before this turns into an even bigger mess than it already is.”
Seth and Babe had pursued the fleeing man as far as Hickory Station, where the dog had lost his trail. Though she’d circled, nose to the now damp pavement, she’d returned to Seth looking totally befuddled.
“It’s okay, girl,” he said, slapping his thigh to draw her closer. “Come on. We’d better get back to Marie and Patty. They’re probably frantic by now, and I’m not looking forward to getting any wetter, either.”
He had realized, as he’d chased the prowler through the night, that he might very well be on a wild-goose chase. If he hadn’t seen that strange man trying to get into his truck, he might have been more in doubt. As it was, he was virtually certain that the individual he was pursuing had been after the child. Babe certainly thought so. The mild-mannered border collie had never sounded that angry and protective in all the time he’d owned her. If Babe believed that the prowler was someone to distrust and fear, that was good enough for Seth.
He started to jog back to the garage, Babe at his heels. As he approached, he slowed and scanned the shadows while his dog circled, clearly searching as well. Large raindrops were now falling in far greater numbers, and Seth knew it would soon pour, probably spoiling any trail his dog might otherwise find.
“Marie?” he called over the whistling wind. “Marie? Patty?”
There was no answer. Seth peered into his truck, hoping he’d find them huddled there, together. It was empty.
As soon as he tried the handle of the driver’s door, he realized that someone had accidentally locked it! Could he have instinctively done so to safeguard the child after Babe had taken off? He didn’t remember doing that but anything was possible.
Muttering, he started around to the front of the garage. “Marie? Marie, honey, it’s me,” he called, not wanting to actually shout. “Where are you?”
Still, there was no reply. The hair on Seth’s neck and arms prickled as water began to collect and drip off the brim of his cap. He shivered. He prayed. His fists clenched. Could she have headed back to the motel? He supposed it was possible, but he didn’t think she’d have chanced it. Not all alone and on foot. And certainly not when they were facing an impending downpour. So where could she have gone? More important, were she and Patty safe?
He paused, watching his dog continue to sniff the area. Since he and Marie had been right there only minutes before, it was natural for Babe to have picked up their trail.
The dog stopped next to the hidden car and began to whine.
“I know, girl,” he whispered, settling her with a pat on the head. “We were here. What I need to know is where Marie and Patty are now.”
Babe took a tentative step and stuck her nose beneath the fluttering edge of the tarp. Seth’s heart leaped. Was it possible that they had taken refuge in the car? It made perfect sense to him, but was Marie that rational under fire? He sure hoped so.
Slowly, methodically, Seth scanned the street below the garage’s front lot to be certain it was safe before he did anything else. No one seemed to be paying the slightest attention to him or to the repair business. The few cars and trucks that were still over at Hickory Station were half a block away, and those that were passing on the two-lane highway were traveling too fast to be able to see anything well, especially through the rain and in the dark.
He noticed that his hand was shaking as he reached for the edge of the tarp, unsure of what he might discover. Painful visions of finding Alice’s body flashed into his mind.
No. Dear, God, no, he thought. His heart clenched. His mouth felt as though it had been stuffed with the same kind of dry, dusty sawdust he’d found in Marie’s gas tank.
He decided to chance another softly spoken query; he bent and lifted the side of the tarp as he said, “Marie?”
The car door burst open, hitting his shoulder and momentarily knocking him off-balance. He staggered and braced himself. Before he could blink, Marie was in his arms and clinging to him as if she were drowning and he was her life preserver.
Seth embraced her in return, patting her shoulder and soothing her with his voice. “Easy. I’ve got you. It’s over.”
“No, it’s not,” she said with a shuddering sob as she reached down and drew Patty into the group hug. “It’ll never be over. We’ll never be safe again.”
What Seth would have liked to have done was take Marie and her little girl to his pastor, Logan Malloy, tell him everything and ask for advice. He knew that Logan had been involved in law enforcement back in Chicago, before he’d become a clergyman, which meant Marie would be in good hands.
However, there was now Logan’s family’s safety to consider. Seth didn’t want to do anything that might endanger Becky or little Timmy, nor was he willing to unburden his own soul to the pastor. Someday he would. But this was definitely not the time for unnecessary confessions. Logan was an honorable man, and if he knew that Seth was a fugitive, guilty or not, he’d probably feel honor bound to act. The same went for Marie’s trouble with the law.
So, what could Seth do? Deliver her back to the motel? That didn’t seem wise, yet he couldn’t
see what other course was available to them. He certainly wasn’t going to suggest they go home with him and have Marie think he was making an indecent proposal. She’d made it clear what kind of woman she was, and he respected her for her high moral principles.
He eased away from her, gathered up the plastic shopping bags they’d dropped and began to shepherd everyone toward his truck while Babe circled the group, tail wagging.
“Let’s get out of this rain and talk,” Seth said, unlocking the door and helping with Patty before handing Marie the sacks containing their meager possessions.
He circled the truck and slid behind the wheel. “So, do you want to go back to the motel?”
“I don’t know what else we can do.” Marie shivered. “Is there any place else around here where we can stay?”
“Not another motel, no. I did think of asking Pastor Malloy to take you in but…”
Marie’s head snapped around. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not going to involve that nice woman and her family in my problems. Period. Understand?”
“Perfectly. Would you care to tell me what kind of problems you’re talking about?”
“Not really.”
“I think you should reconsider,” Seth urged. “Whoever bothered us tonight is probably part of the overall situation. The more I know, the better I’ll be able to counter their moves.”
Pausing, she scowled at him. “Who are you?”
“Just an ol’ country boy trying to be a gentleman.”
“Phooey. First of all, you haven’t lived here in Serenity for very long. And second, nobody seems to know anything about your past, so don’t give me that aw-shucks act.”
“My, my,” he said, flashing a lopsided smile. “You’ve been poking into my business, haven’t you?”
“Just curious to find out what makes you so protective.”
Seth sobered. “All right. I’ll tell you a little about myself while we drive.” He eyed Patty. “Is it all right to talk in front of her?”
“Is it bad?” Marie asked.
When he nodded, she said, “Then wait till we get back to our room and I’ve put her to bed. We can sit right outside in the truck and talk afterwards.”
Agreeing, Seth peered through the sheets of driving rain as he took them up the road toward the motel. Once again, this woman had impressed him with her genuine concern for her child and her willingness to put Patty, and others, first. Given his background and experience, he knew that was not easy to do.
Marie kissed Patty good-night and tucked her into bed. “I’ll be right outside, talking with Mr. Whitfield,” she assured her. “I’ll leave the curtains open a little so you can see his truck.”
“Can I say my prayers before I go to sleep?”
“Of course. Do you want me to help you?”
The child shook her head sheepishly. “Don’t be mad, okay? I’m gonna tell God I want to stay here and I don’t want you to tell Him no.”
Marie was still grinning broadly when she eased out the door onto the narrow sidewalk that bordered the bank of rooms and made a dash for the warmth of Seth’s truck.
He was waiting, as promised, leaning back with his arms raised and his fingers laced behind his head in a nonchalant pose.
“You look pleased,” he said, watching her hurriedly scoot onto the seat and slam the door. “Is Patty all right? I know she was pretty scared tonight.”
“We both were. She’s fine now. She wanted me to leave so she could have privacy while she tries to convince God we’re supposed to stay in Serenity.”
He huffed with evident derision and lowered his arms. “Where did she get that idea?”
“From being around your dog, I guess. She’s always wanted a pet and with my working all the time, it just wasn’t practical.”
“You’re raising her by yourself?”
“Yes.” Chin up, she raked her damp hair back with her fingers and let her gaze meet his boldly, defiantly. “I was never married to her father.”
“I won’t judge you for that or anything else,” Seth said.
She could see he was sincere. “Good. Now what was it you were going to tell me that we decided not to let Patty hear?”
“I forget.”
“Oh, no, you don’t. You were about to explain why you’re so protective.”
She folded her arms across her chest and sat sideways on the bench seat, one leg tucked beneath her, while the rain smacked against the outside of the truck and sheeted over the windows. In the illumination from the motel lights, the drops sparkled like thousands of falling stars.
When Seth didn’t speak right away she added, “Go ahead. Talk. I’m all ears.”
She could sense his capitulation by the shrug of his broad shoulders and the slow, steady nod of his head.
“All right,” Seth finally began. “Once, a long time ago, I came home and found my wife lying dead on the kitchen floor. She’d been murdered.”
Marie’s jaw dropped. Although she’d imagined many possible scenarios, the murder of the poor man’s wife had not been one of them. Not even close.
She reached out to him, gently patted his forearm through his jacket, and left her hand resting there to offer ongoing comfort. “I’m so sorry.”
“It was a long time ago. But you can see why I’d be extra nervous about your problems, can’t you?”
“In a way, maybe.” She withdrew her hand and folded her arms once again. “I just don’t understand how you got so good at all this clandestine stuff. Hanging around with you feels like I’ve been dropped into a spy movie, only I came in at the middle and have no idea why things are happening or who is who.”
She began to grin in spite of the seriousness of the situation. “Come to think of it, my whole life is starting to feel like that.” Lightning flashed bright and thunder immediately rattled the truck windows, making her flinch. “Complete with really scary sound effects.”
“Then maybe it’s time you told me a little more. For instance, why Patty had such a strong fear reaction when I raised my voice to keep her from running out of the church ahead of us.”
“It was probably partly because I’ve been so upset lately,” Marie said. “That, and she may remember more about her father’s temper than I’d thought, at least subconsciously.”
“He was abusive?”
Marie could tell that Seth had tensed, because his jaw muscles were visibly clenching. Though she wanted to blurt out everything, she took a deep breath and stifled that urge before she began, “I was seventeen when I ran away from home. Roy was older, a man of the world at twenty-two. I thought he was special because he was so interested in me, took such good care of me.” She breathed a heavy sigh. “Compared to what my home life had been while I was growing up, that was true.”
She had been watching Seth’s expression. When she judged that he was accepting her story as he’d promised, she went on. “Roy kept assuring me we’d get married, but even after we knew I was expecting Patty, he dragged his feet. Now that I can look back on those years more objectively, I’m glad he balked. If I was married to Roy, I’d have even worse problems.”
“Where is he now?” Seth asked softly.
“I don’t really know.” A shudder of remembrance skittered up her spine as she pictured the way Roy had struggled against his captors when they’d dragged him off to who-knows-where. “The last time we spoke, he told me he was in trouble and warned me to get out of town.”
“Baton Rouge?”
Marie’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”
“From the registration in your car. I had a responsibility to my job to be sure you hadn’t stolen it.”
The air whooshed out of her lungs, and she sagged against the seat back. “Oh. You scared me.”
“Sorry. Like I keep telling you, if you continue to hide the truth, it’s going to be a lot harder for me, or anyone else, to help you.”
“There’s really nothing you can do,” Marie said. “I’ve probably told you too much al
ready.”
“One more thing I need to know,” Seth said, pinning her with his steady stare.
“All right. I’ll tell you if I can.”
“It’s about Roy. That’s his name, right?”
“Yes…”
His voice low, his words clipped, Seth asked, “Were you ever, or are you now, involved with him in any crimes?”
Marie could feel herself bristle at the implication. “Of course not. Never. That was why I left him. I gave him an ultimatum. It was either his buddies and their life of crime or Patty and me. He chose them.”
“What about the physical abuse? I don’t know you very well, but I can’t picture you staying with him under those circumstances.”
Giving another loud sigh, Marie nodded. “You’re right. When I told Roy he had to choose, he got drunk and hit me. More than once. That was the last straw. As soon as he passed out, I left and went straight to a shelter for battered women and children. Even if I’d been willing to give him more chances to reform, I knew I couldn’t leave Patty in that situation one more minute.”
“All right. That’s good enough for me. You say you’re innocent and I believe you.”
She blinked back tears of thankfulness. “You really do, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Seth said flatly. “I really do.”
EIGHT
Now that he knew Marie’s side of the story, at least part of it, he decided to compare her version with that in Corp. Inc.’s files and see if he could figure an easy way out for her.
Yes, a second contact with his former agency was more risky than his initial foray into its computer system had been, but he decided to chance it. At least he no longer suspected that Marie had been sent to unmask him, which was a big relief. So was her explanation of her prior connections to Roy Jenkins. The woman was a victim, not a coconspirator and, as he’d thought from the moment he’d met her, she desperately needed professional assistance.
He closed his eyes and took a deep, settling breath before connecting to the first of the three anonymizer Web sites he’d used the last time. His mind kept insisting he was a fool to be doing this again, while his heart and soul argued the opposite.
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