Trevor stood back and looked askance at them both. “Well, that was exciting. Are you ladies through playing games or should I hang on to the crowbar, just in case?”
“We weren’t playing,” Steff insisted. “However, what just happened does cast doubt on whether you were to blame for locking me in the other night.”
“It shouldn’t have taken a faulty lock to convince you of that,” he replied. “You should have trusted me.”
Her lack of a reply or an excuse, however lame, was hard to take. He’d never done anything to lead Steff to believe he was dishonest, yet she seemed unable to trust him. Had she always been that wary? He didn’t recall that she had, although ten or fifteen years ago he hadn’t been nearly as discerning as he was now.
Then again, if he’d wanted to try to disprove her suspicions he could have gone into more detail about the strange footprints he’d noticed on the dusty stairs the other night. Her insistence that the police not be involved had kept him from following up at the time. There was no way he could have preserved those prints without expert assistance and since Steff was loath to report the incident there was really no way he could hope to prove he’d been telling the truth.
Returning to work, Trevor went through the practiced motions of varnishing the final tier of the shelves while his mind wrestled with the depth of emotion he was beginning to feel for Steff.
Seeing her so frightened had caused him actual physical pain, made him yearn to put his arms around her and assure her that he’d always watch over her, take care of her, so nothing could ever harm her.
That was a ridiculous notion, of course. He was in no position to say anything of the kind, let alone fulfill that kind of promise. Steff was out of his league. Period. And she always would be.
Turning his thoughts Heavenward he murmured a brief prayer for his own sanity, then added, “And, Father, reach out to her and show her how precious she is in Your sight.”
Measured against all the things for which he’d prayed in the past, that thought seemed paramount. He’d been selfish to think of Steff on a personal level when he could see he should have been most concerned about her spiritual well-being.
Sighing, he continued to work and pray. “Okay, Father, I think I understand. While You’re at it, would You mind giving Steff a good man to love so I can quit daydreaming about her and watching over her to keep her safe?”
Trevor immediately huffed in self-disgust. If he’d thought it was possible to cancel a heartfelt prayer he’d have taken that one back as soon as the words were out of his mouth.
Steff returned to the office she was temporarily sharing with Brenda and flopped into her chair. “Whew! I sure didn’t enjoy that experience.”
Still sniffling, Brenda blew her nose. “Neither did I. What are we going to do about that broken door?”
“If it were up to me I’d leave it just the way it is,” Steff said. “But it’s supposed to be locked at night, so I suppose we can’t.” She took a deep, shaky breath, surprised to find that she was still tremulous.
“How are we going to explain what happened?”
“As briefly as possible,” Steff said, beginning to smile slightly in spite of the anxiety she couldn’t seem to subdue. “I can imagine what my father would say if we told him we were conducting an experiment that backfired—especially when we were supposed to be working.”
“I’d rather not even think about that,” Brenda said.
“Yeah. I know what you mean. That’s why, before our temporary handyman finishes with my office, I’m going to ask him what he’d charge to fix the door.”
“Do you think he will?’
“I don’t see why not. He damaged it in the first place, even if it was for my benefit.”
“Besides,” her friend drawled, “you want him to stick around as long as possible.”
“I do not!”
“Liar.”
Chuckling, Steff shook her head. “I’m not lying. I may be exaggerating a tiny bit, but I’m telling the basic truth. It has been kind of comforting having Trevor underfoot, particularly when I’ve needed his help, but it certainly hasn’t been relaxing. I’m more confused than ever.”
“My mamaw would call that being bumfuzzled,” Brenda said. “She’s a very wise old lady.”
“And my grandmother would wash my mouth out if I used that kind of colloquialism.”
“Why? It’s not a bad word.”
“No, but it’s not in Webster’s dictionary, either, and my family insists upon proper grammar at all times.”
“If you don’t mind my saying so, your family is so stiff they make those big ole oak trees outside seem positively limber.” She giggled. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. You’re not going to tattle on me, are you? I really need this job.”
“No, I won’t tell,” Steff assured her. She started for the door. “I’m going to talk to Trevor. Wish me luck.”
“How about if I pray for you, instead?”
Sobering, Steff nodded. “Good idea. I can use all the help I can get, especially when it comes to dealing with that man.”
She shivered all the way to her bones as she walked away. Trevor wasn’t the only reason she needed prayer. She might not be able to put a name to the danger she kept sensing but it was there, just the same. She could feel it every waking moment like a pall that hung over her and the college. And she didn’t like that sensation one bit.
Trevor had cleaned his varnishing brush and was picking up his gear when Steff caught up to him.
“I’m almost done here,” he said, glancing at her. “You shouldn’t put anything on those shelves until next week, if you can help it. I’d like the varnish to cure until then.”
“Fine. I’ll remember.” He could tell from the look on her face that she was pleased with his work even before she looked at him and said, “I’m so glad I asked you to build them. They’re beautiful!”
So are you, he thought, although he merely said, “Thanks.”
“Before you go, would you mind giving me an estimate on repairing the door we just broke?”
“I do new construction and remodeling, not repair.”
“Oh. Well, how about making an exception in this case? I’d really rather not leave the damage until my father or one of the other trustees notices it, and I have no idea who else to call. I suppose I could ask building maintenance to fix it but then there’d be a written report and I’d have to eventually explain what happened.”
Trevor could see an unspoken plea in her violet-blue eyes and feel the urging of his heart to give in. “Okay, I’ll look at it as soon as I put this stuff in my truck.”
“Can I help you carry anything?”
He eyed her warily. “I think not. The last time you helped me we got involved in an argument over a scrap of trash. I’d rather not do that again, if you don’t mind.”
“Which reminds me. Where did you put the initial we found in the wall? Is it safe?”
He shrugged. “Safe enough, I suppose. Nobody cares but the two of us, so it’s not locked up or anything. Why?”
“It occurred to me that I should be the one to look after it, especially since it was found in my office. If you have no objection.”
Trevor wasn’t happy with her conclusion because it would just cause him more worry, but at the moment he couldn’t come up with a plausible argument against it.
“None that I can think of,” he replied. He picked up a tote containing his finishing supplies, then nodded toward the door. “After you, Princess. Let’s go see what your latest project needs.”
“Do you have to sound so disgusted? I mean, I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Didn’t you?”
“Of course not!”
He proceeded to his truck, stowed his supplies, then rejoined her. She was waiting by the splintered basement door and looking perturbed.
“If I do this, it will be strictly as a favor to you,” Trevor reminded her.
“And because I’m a Kessl
er and you want the library expansion contract.”
Brows narrowing, he faced her and shook his head. “You really believe that?”
“Of course I do. That’s what always happens to me. Just the other night, Dean Rutherford jumped into your Dumpster to help me look through the trash for that initial you’d already taken out. Do you think he’d have done that if Brenda or one of the other staff members had asked him?”
The scowl deepened as Trevor stared at her. “Cornell Rutherford actually climbed into my Dumpster? That’s incredible.” He paused to consider. “What was he doing here at that time of night?”
“Getting some exercise, I suppose. He wasn’t exactly dressed for jogging but he wasn’t wearing a suit, either. I was glad to have the company. I’ve been extra edgy lately.”
“I can sure understand that.” Eyeing the broken lock and splintered jamb for a few seconds, Trevor turned back to Steff. “Okay. I can do the cosmetic repairs on the frame pretty easily. That old lock is another story. What I’d recommend is replacing the mechanism with one that can be opened from either side.”
“Fine, as long as it’s done by day after tomorrow. The trustees are meeting then and I’m afraid they’ll notice.”
“Will they be talking about the library annex?”
“Discussion of it is on their agenda. I plan to show them the wonderful job you’ve done on my office, too.”
“Thanks. If you’d like to see a larger example of my work there’s a restaurant in Savannah that we recently finished. It was the first Whittaker job I managed. I’m pretty proud of it.”
“What a coincidence! I’ve been planning to go to Savannah. I promised Lauren and Dee I’d get over their way soon and I haven’t yet. It’s a perfect opportunity.”
“I’d call that more of a God-incidence than a coincidence,” Trevor observed as he unscrewed the lock and pried it from its setting.
“Speaking of convenient things like that, did you have a chance to talk to Mason Grant at the reunion? If you’re looking for a list of rich prospective clients, I’d certainly recommend him. He’s big in sporting goods.”
“So I’ve heard. Unfortunately, the only thing he seemed interested in was whether I had an engineering degree.”
“You could take extension classes and complete your formal education in the evenings,” Steff said. “It would look good on your résumé.”
“And then what? Use my diploma to try to impress people like you and your family? No, thanks.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Oh, come on, Steff. We both know where your priorities lie.”
Trevor knew he was speaking too bluntly but he couldn’t help himself. The recent time he’d spent being near Steff had left him irritable and stressed. It had also caused him to start to picture her as a permanent part of his life, which was an impossibility. Pressing her to admit their inherent differences was pure self-defense.
She stared at him as if seeing him for the first time. “And you say I’m prejudiced? Give me a break, Trevor. My parents may be overly class conscious but I’m not. If I were, I wouldn’t be working for a living.”
“You just proved my point.” He could tell Steff was getting angrier but something inside him kept insisting he had to continue asserting his position, had to make her see how totally unsuited they were for each other.
“What are you talking about?”
“You said it yourself. You don’t have to work for a living like the rest of us. How do you think that makes us feel? Huh?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I wasn’t trying to lord it over you or anyone else.”
“Maybe you don’t mean to, but you do it just the same. You can’t help it. It’s the way you were raised.” As he watched, her expression went from one of astonishment to one of sadness, and he started to regret carrying their heated discussion so far.
“Look, Princess,” Trevor said quietly. “I’m not trying to criticize you. I’m simply trying to get you to see the truth. As I said before, we are what the good Lord made us and I’m not about to argue with Him. You shouldn’t, either.”
She faced him with her chin high, her spine straight, her manner unyielding. “You can think whatever you please about me and my family, Trevor. It won’t change my attitude toward other people, not even toward you. I’ll drive down to Savannah tomorrow. Give me the address of the place you built and I’ll look at it. If I’m as impressed as you think I’ll be, I’ll recommend that the trustees consider hiring Whittaker Construction to build the library annex.”
“You’d still do that?”
“Of course. Magnolia College deserves the best and if Whittaker is better than Fowler Brothers, they should get the job.”
He didn’t know what to say other than “Thank you.”
“She’s going to Savannah? Are you sure it’s not Charleston or Atlanta?”
“I’m positive. You should be safe enough wherever you are right now.”
“I wish I could believe that. I’ve been jumpy ever since I heard the details of what she found in her office wall.”
“There’s nothing anyone can do about it now.”
“Yes, there is. I want you to get that initial and either destroy it or give it to me.”
“No way. I might get caught. Why should I risk my good reputation for you?”
“Because, without my silence you won’t have a reputation worth saving and you know it.”
“What if I can’t lay my hands on it?”
“You’d better find a way.”
“Don’t push me too hard. I could always decide to expose you, you know.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way you can hurt me without taking yourself down, too.”
Muttered curses followed before “All right. I’ll see what I can do. If and when I get my hands on it, I’ll phone you again. And in the meantime, I’ll hire someone to follow her wherever she goes, just in case.”
“Make sure you give a false name so your interest in her can’t be traced. And use cash to pay whoever you hire so no one can ID you from that, either.”
“Of course. I’m not a fool.”
“That remains to be seen. If I don’t hear from you in a week I’ll…”
“You’ll what? Come back to Magnolia Falls and take care of this mess yourself? I very much doubt that.”
“Don’t tempt me. You never know.”
There was a deep sigh, then capitulation. “All right. You’ve made your point. Be patient. I’ll get the initial for you. Somehow.”
SEVEN
S teff left home the next day for her drive south along Route 21 to Savannah. The merciless sun beat through the closed Mercedes windows, making her glad she’d worn a light, sleeveless dress and sandals instead of her usual heels.
Approaching the turnoff for the Magnolia Springs State Park on the Savannah River, she shivered in spite of the sizzling outdoor temperature. That park was where Magnolia College had held their end-of-the-term school picnic ten years ago. And that was where and when Adam had died.
Would she ever be able to pass through that area without reliving her poor brother’s accident? she wondered. Perhaps. And perhaps it was just as well that she couldn’t forget because any memories, even sad ones, kept him alive in her heart.
It had been a beautiful, cloudless day much like this, she recalled as she pulled to the side of the road and stopped her car on the shoulder. Everyone had been so happy, so carefree. Adam and Penny had recently married, over the Kesslers’ vehement objections, and were so in love it was almost painful to watch them together. Adam had doted on his wife and she’d seemed totally enamored with him, too. Of course, at that time, only the two of them had known they were expecting a baby.
“Oh, Adam,” Steff whispered. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I wish you could have been there for Penny when she needed you so desperately.”
She looked over at the turnoff and began to picture the main landing near the picnic grou
nds and marina, upriver from the dam. Several of the students in her graduating class had brought pleasure craft and anchored them there for the day. They’d taken turns thrilling passengers and showing off by racing their boats around the lake, leaving sweeping wakes that made smaller boats bob like corks in a tub.
Neither his bride nor the others on the boat at the time could explain how a strong young man like Adam could have fallen overboard and drowned without being noticed. The official police investigation had eventually concluded that his death was accidental.
Poor Penny had been heartbroken in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and Steff had done all she could to comfort her.
“I can’t believe it!” Penny had sobbed. “Where is he? We have to find him.” Then she had run to the end of the pier and screamed, “Adam! Adam!” over and over again until some of the other young women had drawn her away from the shore where she had collapsed in hysterics.
Steff had tried to explain everything to her parents when they’d arrived at the lake several hours later. “No one knows how it happened. Adam apparently fell overboard,” she had said. “There was a lot of horseplay going on and then he was just gone.” Her voice had broken. “They…they found him floating in that inlet over there.”
“Your brother was an excellent swimmer,” J.T. had countered. “If he wasn’t able to save himself there must have been foul play.” He had then glared at poor Penny as if she had been personally at fault.
Compassionate and fighting tears of her own, Steff had put her arm around the distraught young woman’s shoulders in a show of support. “Penny was on the boat but she didn’t see a thing. Nobody did. The men were showing off in the water, that’s all. It wasn’t her fault, Dad.”
“Adam shouldn’t have been out here in the first place. He wouldn’t have been if it weren’t for her. I never did see why he insisted on marrying.”
Steff had felt the other woman stiffen beneath her tender touch. Penny had swiped at her tears, then faced the elder Kessler as if he were her worst enemy.
“He married me because we’re going to have a baby,” Penny announced. She placed her hand flat on her abdomen as she continued. “I’m going to have your first grandchild, Mr. Kessler, whether you like it or not.”
Hidden in the Wall Page 6
