WHITELAW'S WEDDING

by Beverly Barton

  Manda sighed. "That makes me feel a little bit better."

  When he pulled her into his arms, she went willingly, quickly wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest.

  He stroked her back and nuzzled her temple.

  Suddenly Oxford barked. Manda jumped. Hunter yanked her around to his side. Oxford kept barking. Hunter reached down and unsnapped his hip holster. Several yards away, the brush shivered as if someone or some thing was about to emerge. Oxford had treed either an animal or a person.

  An adrenaline rush of pure fear shot through her. Had the killer tracked them to the Whitelaw farm? If so, what would happen next? Would he and Hunter take part in a gunfight? Another frightening thought occurred to her—what if there was more than one? What if her crazed admirer had hired two killers?

  "Hunter?"

  "Shh." He moved in front of her and whistled to Oxford, who stopped barking, but waited, his stance pointing at danger. "Stay behind me. And if there's any gunfire, hit the ground."

  "Okay."

  Hunter removed his Ruger from the holster. "If there's someone out there, show yourself. Now."

  Manda's heart stopped for a split second as she held her breath.

  Please, let it be an animal. A rabbit or a squirrel or even a skunk.

  A tall, lean figure stepped out of the shadows. Manda gasped. In the murky twilight, she looked into the coldest, most dangerous green eyes she'd ever seen.

  * * *

  Chapter 11

  « ^ »

  "Damn, Wolfe, you scared the hell out of me!"

  Hunter glowered at the somber man who moved toward them, then stopped, leaned over and petted Oxford.

  "Sorry that I upset y'all," the man replied. "I thought you were expecting me."

  "And I thought you were going straight to Manda's house when you arrived, supposedly at ten-thirty. You're early and you're at the wrong place."

  "I got an early start," Wolfe said. "I should have phoned to let you know, but it was nearly dark when I arrived, so I assumed you would have left the farm by now. However, when I stopped at Ms. Munroe's house and y'all weren't there, I just came on out here." He focused his attention on Manda. "I'm truly sorry that I frightened you. I called out several times when I arrived at the farmhouse and I was fixing to call out again when your dog started barking."

  "No harm done," Manda said.

  "No, no harm done, unless you consider my heart failure," Hunter said, half joking.

  He noted the way Manda was staring at David Wolfe, a strange fascination in her gaze. Women usually had that type of reaction to the man. As if they sensed he hid some deep, dark secret, one they would like to discover.

  "Are you ready to head home?" Hunter asked Manda, his tone a little gruffer than he'd intended.

  What was wrong with him? He was acting like a jealous lover. Idiot! He wasn't Manda's lover, not in the truest sense of the word. And he'd sworn off jealousy after he'd found Selina in bed with his Delta force comrade and came close to beating the man to death. In retrospect, he realized that his reaction had come more from his hurt pride than his love for his wife.

  "Sure," Manda said. "It is almost dark. I suppose we should have left earlier, but it's such a nice spring night." She smiled at Wolfe. "Will you be staying at the house with us, Mr. Wolfe?"

  "Just Wolfe, ma'am. And yes, I'll be staying with you and Hunter until—"

  "Until we leave for our honeymoon Saturday night," Hunter said.

  "If there is a honeymoon," Manda reminded him.

  "We could catch our man tomorrow evening, Ms. Munroe," Wolfe said. "In that case there will be no need for y'all to follow through with the wedding."

  "No reason whatsoever," Hunter said, then put his arm possessively around Manda's waist and whistled for Oxford.

  * * *

  Half an hour later Hunter showed Wolfe to Manda's guest room. Despite his moments of unwarranted jealousy out at the farm, Hunter was damn glad to have Wolfe in town.

  "I hate to put you out of your bed," Wolfe said. "I'll be glad to bunk on the living room sofa."

  "There's no need for that," Hunter said, then decided to be honest with Wolfe. The man acting as his backup needed to know the truth—that Manda was more than an assignment. "Look, I haven't been using this room. I'm sharing Manda's bed."

  Wolfe's expression didn't alter, not by one iota. No rounded eyes. No lifted brow.

  When Wolfe didn't respond, Hunter went on. "Our relationship is complicated. We go back a long way. We're friends and … and … I care about her. Manda's welfare is important to me for personal reasons."

  "You don't owe me any explanations." Wolfe lifted his black vinyl bag onto the foot of the bed, unzipped it and pulled out a manila envelope. "Ellen sent you a condensed version of the information we've compiled on all the key players in Manda's life. I know she's given you a rundown over the phone, but we've gone over the facts several times and a few things don't add up."

  "Like what?"

  "Like the fact that fiancé number one's death seems to have been nothing more than an accident. The locals did a thorough investigation into the car crash and there was no evidence of any foul play. And before Dr. Austin's death, Manda didn't receive any warning letters. Other than the fact that Austin and Farrar were engaged to Manda Munroe, there was nothing similar in their lives or deaths."

  "Perry has tried to convince Manda that Rodney Austin wasn't murdered, but she can't get it out of her head that whoever killed Mike also murdered Rodney."

  "We're pretty sure that whoever killed Mike Farrar was a man. Either that or a woman strong enough to lift his hundred - and - seventy - five - pound body. The police report plainly states that Farrar wasn't shot down by the river. He was killed somewhere else and taken to the river."

  "Which doesn't necessarily rule out my two female suspects," Hunter said. "Not if our killer hired an assassin."

  "So, there doesn't seem to be any great revelations in these reports." Wolfe tapped the manila envelope. "You might want to read them over, anyway. Since you know the people involved, you might catch something we missed."

  Hunter took the envelope. "Thanks. Sleep with one eye open, okay? There's always a chance our guy will show up tonight for one last scare tactic before he moves in for the kill."

  Manda appeared in the doorway. "I wish you wouldn't talk like that. You sound as if you're fearless, as if the fact that someone is going to try to kill you doesn't bother you in the least."

  "Manda, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were listening." Hunter glanced at Wolfe, who remained silent. "See you in the morning, Wolfe."

  Hunter cupped Manda's elbow and led her across the hall and into their bedroom. When he closed the door, Manda halted. She looked at the door, then at him.

  "I'm not … we're not … not with Wolfe in the house," Manda said.

  "I closed the door to give you privacy, not because I'm planning on ravishing you."

  "Oh, I see."

  "You sound disappointed."

  "Of course I'm not disappointed." Manda strode across the room, removed her robe, tossed it into a nearby chair, then got into bed.

  "I'd be more than glad to accommodate you tonight," Hunter teased. "That is if you've changed your mind about waiting for our wedding night."

  Just as Hunter entered the bathroom, Manda tossed a pillow in his direction. The goose down pillow hit the closed door and slid to the floor.

  "I haven't changed my mind," Manda called to him. Hunter suppressed a chuckle as he waited inside the bathroom. Within a minute, Manda banged on the door.

  "What do you want?" he asked. "Can't a fellow even get a shower without—"

  "When I said that I hadn't changed my mind, I didn't mean that I had agreed that—" she lowered her voice as if only now remembering that they weren't alone in the house "—we would become lovers on our wedding night."

  He cracked open the door, just enough to exchange a glance with Manda. "Get in bed an
d try to rest. We have a busy day tomorrow. You'll need a good night's sleep."

  "Hunter, I meant what I said. I haven't agreed to anything."

  "Stop worrying about it. There's every chance things will come to a head tomorrow evening and there will be no need for us to go through with the wedding."

  "I hope you're right."

  "Yeah. Sure. Me, too."

  * * *

  Manda picked the pillow up off the floor and hugged it to her, then turned off all the lights in the bedroom, except Hunter's bedside lamp. She lay there listening to the shower running and couldn't stop her mind from rushing headlong into thoughts of a naked Hunter. If she were as adventuresome as she'd been at sixteen, she would strip off her gown and join him in the shower. Her body tingled with desire. If she asked him to, he would make love to her tonight.

  She had waited twice before for a wedding night that never happened. If only she and Rodney hadn't waited. If only she and Mike had shared an intimate relationship. Her life was filled with if onlys. Once Hunter went back to Atlanta, would she add their unconsummated relationship to her list of if onlys?

  But she had to remember one important thing—if this dangerous plan worked, then afterward she would be free to love and be loved, to find a wonderful man who wanted to share his life with her. Hunter Whitelaw wasn't that man. He was in her life on a temporary basis only. As soon as this assignment ended, he'd be long gone. He had given her no reason to believe otherwise. She'd be a fool to wish for more.

  Manda tossed and turned, longing for sleep. Maybe she could pretend to be asleep when Hunter came to bed. If Hunter's predictions came true, she had to survive only one more night of sharing a bed with him. If the killer made his move tomorrow evening and they were able to catch him, this horror story she'd been living would come to an end.

  The phone rang. Manda yelped and jumped. After taking a deep breath, she switched on the lamp then glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Perry's cell phone. She grabbed the receiver.

  "Hello, Perry?"

  The recorded voice laughed. "How are you, Manda? All ready for the big day? Such a pity that once again, you won't have a groom. Call off your wedding or Hunter Whitelaw will die."

  Hunter emerged from the bathroom, a towel draped around his hips.

  "Was it him?"

  Manda nodded. "He used Perry's cell phone. How did he get hold of Perry's phone? What if he's done something to Perry?" She grabbed the receiver, then dialed her brother's number.

  "Here, let me talk to Perry," Hunter said as he motioned for Manda to move over. When she handed him the phone and scooted over, he sat on the edge of the bed.

  "Ask him if he knows someone stole his cell phone." She leaned over against Hunter and tugged on the receiver. "I want to listen to what y'all say."

  Hunter readjusted the phone so that they could both listen. The voice on the other end said, "Munroe residence."

  "Perry?"

  "Hunter, is that you?"

  "Yeah. Listen, Manda just received a phone call and her caller ID showed your cell phone number," Hunter said.

  "Damn! Look, I don't know where I lost the phone or if I lost it," Perry said. "On my way home from the office this evening, I went to take it out of my briefcase to give Gwen a call and the phone wasn't there. I have no idea if I misplaced the phone or if—"

  "When was the last time you used it?" Hunter asked.

  "Yesterday," Perry replied. "But I know it was still in my briefcase last night. When I put away a file I'd brought home from the office, the phone was still in my briefcase."

  "Who had access to that briefcase last night and today?"

  "I don't know. Hmm… Well, here at the house, Grams and Gwen and Bobbie Rue, but they wouldn't have taken it. And at work, there's Grady, of course and Jennifer Waits, our paralegal and our secretaries, Erica and Tammy."

  Hunter made some mental calculations. Gwen. Grady. Two of his suspects. "Anyone else? Anybody besides family at the house last night?"

  "Only Boyd Gipson. He stopped by to see if Manda was here," Perry said. "He'd gone by her house, hoping to check on her and see that she was all right after the bomb threat."

  "Could Boyd have gotten hold of your cell phone?"

  "I don't see how— Hey, wait a minute. I left him in the den while I went in the kitchen and got some ice for our drinks. Bobbie Rue had forgotten to fill the ice bucket."

  "Okay, so that means Boyd could have stolen the phone," Hunter said.

  Manda shook her head. Hunter placed his index finger over her lips as a suggestion for her to keep quiet.

  "What about at the office today?" Hunter probed again, seeking other possibilities. "Anyone other than the people you work with? A client who might have—"

  "Chris and Claire came by," Perry said. "It seems that Claire was upset because Chief Burgess had questioned Chris about his Ferrari being downtown night before last around the same time Manda got that first warning phone call. Chris swears he was home, in bed, sleeping off a drunk. And Claire swears he was there. They just wanted to make sure that Chris wasn't in any legal trouble."

  "Was Chris, at any time, alone in your office? Could he have stolen your cell phone?"

  "No, I don't think so."

  "What about Claire?"

  "Claire?" Perry and Manda gasped the name simultaneously.

  "Yes, Claire," Hunter said. "Is it possible she stole your phone?"

  "Claire would never do such a thing," Manda said.

  "I agree," Perry said. "But now that you mention it, when Chris and Claire first arrived at my office, I was in with Grady, so Tammy showed them into my office. Claire was there waiting for me. It seems Chris had gone to the bathroom and he came in a few minutes later."

  "Thanks, Perry," Hunter said. "Don't worry too much about this. Manda is safe. I'm here with her and another Dundee agent arrived tonight. If we get another call, I'll contact the police and instigate procedures to trace any calls made on your phone."

  "If there's anything I can do, let me know," Perry said. "And Manda, if you'd like for me to come over there, I—"

  "No, Perry, there's no need for that," Manda told her brother. "I have two professional bodyguards here with me. I'll be fine."

  Hunter replaced the receiver, then stood. Manda suddenly became very aware of the fact that beneath that towel, Hunter was naked. When he caught her staring at the towel, he grinned.

  "Guess I'd better put on my pajama bottoms," he said.

  "Yes, I guess you'd better." Manda slid her legs under the top sheet and bedspread, then placed her pillow against the headboard and leaned back in a sitting position. "Do you think he'll call again?"

  Hunter paused in the bathroom doorway. "Maybe."

  "Or maybe he'll just show up, unannounced, and do something crazy, like blow up the house or shatter all the windows with an Uzi."

  "That's highly unlikely," Hunter said. "At this point, my guess is that our nutcase doesn't want to harm you. You're still unmarried and still a … still haven't had a wedding night."

  "How would he know about … I mean I've never even told Perry that I was…" Manda had discussed her love life with Hunter more than she had with anyone else. He knew more about the intimate details of her relationships with Rodney and Mike than her own brother did.

  "Is there anyone you confided in about the fact that you've never … that you're still a virgin?"

  A warm flush spread up Manda's neck and colored her cheeks. "Grams and Claire."

  "No one else?"

  "Only you."

  Just before Hunter closed the bathroom door, he said, "If the phone rings, wait and let me answer it."

  She nodded. "Okay."

  A couple of minutes later he returned to the bedroom wearing his black and tan-striped cotton pajama bottoms. She turned off her lamp, then eased down in bed to lie flat on her back. Hunter kept his back to her as he checked his gun, then he got into bed and turned off his lamp, throwing the room into darkness. She lay
there, breathing quietly, staying very still, waiting for him to say something. He didn't. As her vision adjusted, she glanced his way and realized that Hunter was on his side, facing her.

  "Are you looking at me?" she asked.

  "Yes."

  "He said that if I didn't call off the wedding, you would die."

  "He's going to try to kill me," Hunter said. "But I'm not going to die."

  "If anything happens to you…"

  The phone rang.

  Manda gasped loudly, then reached out to grab the phone. Hunter sat up and slid toward her side of the bed.

  "Manda … Manda … Manda…"

  Clutching the telephone, she listened to that low, grating voice repeating her name a dozen time over. No message. No warning. Just that weird, repetitive singsong. Manda, Manda. Manda.

  The minute the caller hung up, Hunter switched on his bedside lamp. "I'm contacting Chief Burgess. Cell phone calls can be traced. If he makes another call, there's a good chance they can pinpoint his location."

  * * *

  They didn't get any sleep. After the third call ended around one-thirty, this one another dire warning message, Hunter and Manda got out of bed. She pulled on a robe, but he didn't bother searching through his bag for his pajama top. He wasn't even sure he'd packed it. On their way to the kitchen, they met Wolfe in the hall. He was still dressed in slacks and a pullover knit shirt, and still wore his gun holster. Obviously he hadn't been to bed yet.

  "I'll fix some coffee," Manda said. "Is anyone hungry? I can scramble some eggs or fix some grilled-cheese sandwiches or—"

  "Just coffee," Hunter said.

  "Do you think the phone company will be able to pinpoint the location of Perry's phone?" Manda asked as she flipped on the overhead kitchen light.

  "Probably." Hunter pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table.

  Wolfe came into the room, his movements eerily quiet, as if his footsteps made no sound. Hunter had noted on more than one occasion that David Wolfe possessed the expertise of a trained warrior and the stealthy abilities of a person trained to kill.

  "Would you like something to eat, Wolfe?" Manda asked hospitably as she prepared the coffeemaker.