by Gracie Guy
When she got back to her place, Kara considered leaving the remainder of the packing until morning. She took a sweep through the living room, assessing what needed to be done, and then thought better of it. By the time darkness fell, the only items left in the house were the coffee pot, one cup, one cereal bowl, a single teaspoon, her laptop, the television, and an air mattress. She glanced at the stove and refrigerator, then at the draperies Dan had forced her to settle for. Those were staying behind. She was ready to start her new life.
She dropped down to the air mattress, firing up her laptop and opening her contact files. Within seconds she found John Harley’s phone number. She hadn’t spoken to the trooper in days, even though she’d thought about it. The circumstances of Danny’s death were never fully resolved for Kara. Yeah, the coroner ruled it as an accidental asphyxiation but that didn’t explain how he’d gotten in the harness. John promised to keep looking for a responsible party. Her fingers were shaking a little as she dialed the cell phone number he’d given her.
“John Harley.” Kara felt heat spread through her hips as his deep voice filled her senses.
“Hello John, this is Kara Elliot.”
“Hello Kara, this is a surprise. Have you had anymore run-ins with the mystery woman?”
“No, thank God.” She paused a moment. “I know I should have asked you this the other night, but have you found anything new about my husband’s accomplice?”
The trooper gave off a slight snigger. “I’m not so sure I’d call the person an accomplice. But, yes. We have.”
“Well, are you going to give me some info?”
“The guy who tipped us off to find your husband’s body finally surfaced. He’d been in South Carolina. Apparently looking for work and a new woman.” The trooper’s voice carried a twinge of sarcasm. “The owner of the bar your husband was last seen in called us two nights ago and we brought him in for questioning.”
“Can you tell me what he knew?”
“He gave us the name of the woman he’d been dating before he headed south. He sure wasn’t very complimentary about her. But you really have to consider the source.”
“So have you found her?”
“Not yet, but we’re looking. Don’t worry Kara, when I have something, I’ll give you a call.”
“Thanks John.”
Once her call was over, it kept running through Kara’s mind as she got up to shut off the kitchen lights. She wanted the investigation to be over. Even though she’d made the decision to physically move, she couldn’t close this chapter until the circumstances around Dan’s death had been fully resolved.
With just the warm glow of the television, she returned to the air mattress and snuggled with the dogs, finding what solace she could in their company. “Tomorrow’s the big day you guys.” She alternated between scratching their ears and patting them on the head. “It’s a whole new life for the three of us.”
Chapter Twenty-one
After the moving pod left her driveway, Kara walked a few yards away from the house. When she turned around to face the home she had lived in for many years, she forced back emotions threatening to derail her plans. “I’m sorry, Dan.” Her voice was thick with sadness. “I still don’t know why you did these things. To you. To me. To us. But I’m still alive and I must move on.” She wiped away a single tear, giving the barn and house a semi-salute. Then she and the dogs climbed into her truck and left the driveway, for the last time.
After a quick stop at Robin’s house for another round of hugs and well wishes, she slipped her friend a piece of paper with her new address and then headed east on Route 73. The sun was high and warm, diamonds glinting on the small lakes she passed. The last of the colored leaves eddied to the ground. Snow will be here soon. The single thought ended any romantic notions of how much she loved the Adirondack Mountains.
A few hours later she was pulling into her new driveway, anxious to begin her next adventure. “We’re home babies!” Eager for freedom, the dogs were whining in the back seat. Once loose, they ran like crazy, sniffing every bush, then waited on the stoop for her to unlock the front door. They checked out all of the rooms while Kara carried in the case of paint and the other supplies. On a second trip, she brought in a couple of new beds for them, dropping them in a bath of sunlight in the front room.
The next few days were a constant blur of activity. Kara tried to concentrate on one room at a time, but she grew impatient waiting for the paint to dry. Instead, she alternated between the kitchen and living room, applying a coat of primer and then returning to do the painting. When the pod arrived on Saturday, the living room was actually ready for furniture.
She tipped the driver, shook his hand, and waved good-bye to his toot-toot and the massive cloud of smoke left by the diesel engine. Kneeling down, she unlocked the container, raising the door cautiously in case the load had shifted. Kara stood for a moment, staring at her possessions, flexing her stiff neck. She looked up at the clouds floating by. Wisps of white laced through light blue, a perfect fall day. Her chest started to ache as the darkness came from behind her. She squatted down, her head swimming with dizziness. Breathe. Now! Placing her hand on the side of the pod, the cool steel gave her some stability. It’s okay. You’ll be okay. She leaned her face against it, the chill of the metal a welcome sensation.
Slowly, Kara turned around and sat in the gravel, her back against the corner of the container. It took a few minutes for the dizziness to pass and her breathing to return to normal. She looked at the house, the dogs staring through the glass of the storm door, the sounds of their worried voices reaching her ears. OMG. I think that was a panic attack. She tried to reason it out. But why? This is good. Moving is good. What are you afraid of?
She stood up and gave the seat of her jeans a few slaps to remove the gravel dust. This time, when she faced the container, she boldly displayed her middle finger to the contents. “Really? You just flipped off a mess of shit?” She shook her head, reaching for the side tables nested in the legs of her dining room chairs. Setting the first one on the ground, she was vaguely aware of a car slowing down.
Just as she pulled the second table from the pod, the gravel in her driveway crunched under the wheels of a vehicle. Looking around the corner, she saw Robin—childfree—put her car in park, and remove her seatbelt. Awash with a new sense of safety and relief, Kara ran to hug her unexpected visitor.
“I cannot believe you are here!” The words tumbled out, half-laughing, half-crying.
“Well, I got to thinking about how much stuff we put in here and how you were gonna get the big stuff out.” Robin pointed to the container. “I didn’t know if you’d asked Laurie or Whip to help you, so I figured I’d just show up. The kids are with my mom.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”
“So, let’s have some lunch first.” Robin reached into the car to pull out a bag from Subway. “Then we’ll get to work.”
###
As the sun started to set over the Catskill Mountains, Kara locked the front door while Robin let the dogs into the truck. Even though all of the large pieces of furniture were now in the house, her bed wasn’t set up yet. And, since Kara still had the room at the Comfort Inn, they decided to go there. At the hotel they found a delightful indoor swimming pool in the center of an atrium full of plants, a mini-mart across the parking lot with a great beer selection, and they were within delivery distance of myriad food choices. The prospect of sleeping on the floor at the house while snorting in fresh paint simply paled by comparison.
Friendly conversation passed between them while they swam, but Kara sensed something in her friend’s voice when they returned to the room.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, per se.”
“Then what’s on your mind?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day in the parking lot of the diner.”
Kara’s mind spun for a second, trying to place whatever rambling
may have sprung forth from her lips. That was the day Robin’s kids kept giving her a case of indigestion. Surely I didn’t say something awful about them, did I? She gave up and parried with a generic response.
“So what are you thinking?”
“Well, when you suggested maybe I should move, I thought it was crazy.” Robin got up to retrieve a fresh beer from the ’fridge. “But I talked to my mom about it.” The plink of the bottle cap sounded out of place when it hit the dresser. “She likes the idea of getting a little farther south.”
Kara was so relieved to discover she hadn’t said something injurious about her friend’s children that she was having a little trouble following Robin’s rambling.
“Anyway, I looked into the school here. The elementary at Ichabod Crane is just about the same size as the one in Lake Placid.” Robin paused a minute. “And I don’t have a lease on the house we’re in.”
Suddenly Kara realized her friend was asking for permission to make the same move as she was. She smiled broadly at Robin, afraid she’d cry if she spoke. Instead, she held up her beer in salute to the person who was the closest she’d ever come to having a sister.
By late Sunday afternoon, the bedroom, living room and the kitchen were set up. Even though there were countless boxes of her possessions still to be dealt with, Kara felt good about her new home, even though it was temporary.
Knowing her friend had nearly a three-hour drive, she turned to Robin. “Um. I cannot thank you enough.” She blinked back the inevitable tears.
“Oh, nonsense.” Robin scoffed to break the seriousness. “You’d have done the same for me. Matter of fact, you will be in a few months.”
“I’m looking forward to it!” Considering the emotional lows of the past two months, the smile that split her face felt marvelous. This time when Robin left her driveway, Kara was grinning, thinking about their friendship. Minutes later, she locked the dogs in the house and headed to Laurie’s house to spend a few hours with her horses. The perfect way to wrap up the weekend and get back to work tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-two
“I’m ba-a-a-ck!”
Kara laughed when Dave spun his chair in response to her announcement.
“Well it’s about bloody time!” His booming admonishment easily rolled off her ears due to the broad smile on his face.
“So what’s cooking, boss?” She dropped herself into the chair in front of his desk. “Anything new?”
“How are you? Did you move?”
“Why I’m fantastic. Thanks for asking.” She grinned at him. “And yes, I did move. Both dogs and all my worldly goods are in a freshly painted house in Valatie.”
“So can I safely assume life has returned to some form of normalcy for you?”
“Baby steps, Dave. But I’m getting there.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Dallas. Let’s talk Dallas.”
“Yeah. Um, that’s in like three days.”
“Okay. You got three days to prep and get your ass on a plane.”
Kara blinked in surprise. She expected him to chain her to a desk since she’d been gone for two full weeks. Instead, he was pushing her out the door. “You mean you registered us for it while I was gone?”
“Damn straight. If you weren’t back I was gonna send your apprentice kid. What’s his name? Andy? Randy? Sandy?”
She giggled at her boss’ attempt at humor. It was so good to have some sunshine and silliness in her life again. She’d spent weeks staring into a black cesspool of grief. But now, each time she laughed she could feel the weight of it leaving her soul.
“Andy. His name is Andy.”
“Well, I’m glad you know it. Take him with you.”
“What?”
“You heard me, take ’im with you. And don’t go blinking your eyes at me.”
Kara’s mood dropped like a stone through a barrel of water. “Is there something wrong with the way I’ve been handling the shows?”
“No. Not at all.” At his response, she felt the smile trying to return to her face. “But good company reps aren’t built overnight. I figure if you start showing him the ropes now then by the start of next year’s season, I can send you both out, to different cities.”
“Okay. Makes sense.” She found herself nodding.
“Thanks for approving.” Her boss hated lengthy conversations and now his tone was getting a little snarky. He waved toward the door. “Get moving.”
She hadn’t planned to leave town so quickly and was worried about putting the dogs in a new kennel. “How would you feel about me sending him on a late flight Wednesday so he can handle the setup? And then I’ll join him on Thursday.”
“Whatever, just work it out so the show goes well and you come back with contracts.” This time he pointed to the door. “Now.”
“Thanks.” She gave an appreciative nod.
Once the receptionist made flight and hotel reservations for both of them, Kara told Andy to meet her in the conference room at ten o’clock. By then she’d have all the new promotional materials downloaded to her laptop to show him the rudiments of creating a new PowerPoint. She also threw in some pictures of Dallas she’d found on the Chamber of Commerce website. Over the years, she discovered that weaving local pictures in with the company’s sales pitch helped suck in the buyers. For some reason, people were more apt to sign a contract when they felt like a company knew their town.
When they started working together on the new presentation, Kara quickly learned Andy was way better at using the software than she’d given him credit for. Idiot. He’s at least eight years younger than you. Translation: he grew up using this shit! She watched him open multiple sources on the PC, including six tabs on the browser. He preferred Chrome over IE. Of course. It’s the young person thing. In truth, she admired how quickly he moved from tab to document and then back to PowerPoint, over and over. A lesser user would have found it dizzying, but not her. She was busy planning in her head how many more projects she could throw at him.
Even with a break for lunch, the presentation was ready by the end of the day. As they watched from beginning to end, she leaned over to shake his hand. “Great job, Andy!” She saw a slight blush creep up his neck. “First thing tomorrow morning we can show it to Dave. Once we have his approval, we’ll work on fliers for the materials. We’ll have to get them to the printer before noon in order to get them shipped to Dallas in time.”
She waited for him to reply, but he just nodded. Is he shy or totally overwhelmed? She didn’t know, or care. There was a job to do. If he couldn’t keep up with her, she’d cut him loose after Dallas. “Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gave her a slight wave as she scooped up her laptop and headed out the door.
When she got to Laurie’s house to take care of her horses, she was pleased to find her friend home. Crossing her fingers, she broached the topic of her drive-time brain child—the dogs staying on the farm while she was out of town.
“How was your first day back at work?”
“Good. But I kinda got slammed with something.”
“What?”
“They want me to go out of town later this week. I’ll be gone Thursday through Sunday.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you like these trade shows?”
“I do. But I just moved the dogs. I really don’t want to leave them in a kennel so soon.”
“Why would you do that? They can stay here with me.”
Kara couldn’t believe she’d suggested it. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. They get along with mine real well. Look at the four of them.” Laurie pointed to the pack of dogs racing around the front yard.
“Man, that would be awesome. Thanks.”
“Don’t worry. You can make up for it the next time we have a load of hay to stack in the barn.”
Kara smiled as each of them swung up into the saddles they’d just put on her horses. It was the first time in weeks she’d been able to find time to ride.
“Hey. T
hanks for riding Maple.” She reached down to pet the horse next to her. “You know how clannish and barn-sour they get when I try to take out just one of them.”
“I do. Let’s head out so we’re back before dark.” Laurie whistled for the dogs to follow them into the back pasture.
###
The presentation to Dave Spannell the next morning was a no-brainer. He liked the new ideas Kara came up with, and was quite pleased with the graphic work done by Andy. By noontime all the other materials were uploaded to the Dropbox used by the printer, with the promise of a ten o’clock delivery Wednesday morning. The timing would leave her and Andy a few hours to get the materials packed up and on a plane with him.
With the preparations for Dallas basically finished, she decided to review some of the contracts from the New York City show. I think there might be a few I should call. Just follow up with a little sweet talk. As she reached for her desk phone, an incoming text whistled from her cell phone. Her pulse quickened when she saw his name: Mark.
Hey beautiful. How r u?
Wonderful. U?
Missing u. Don’t want to go to Dallas if you’re not.
Sorry. Up to my neck in contracts from NYC.
Bummer. Thought I’d try.
Thanks. But I’ll catch you in San Fran. We’ll be there at the peak of crab season.
OK. Something to look forward to.
Have a great day, beautiful.
You too, cowboy!
She felt a little guilty for not telling him she’d be going to Dallas, but she wanted to surprise him. The thought of walking up to him, totally unannounced, appealed to her.
Chapter Twenty-three
Two days later, with her luggage in the trunk of the first taxi she signaled when her plane landed at Love Field in Dallas, Kara found her stomach doing somersaults upon pulling into the parking lot of the Hyatt Regency. She couldn’t decide why she was nervous. Maybe he’ll be pissed I didn’t let him know I was coming. But it is too late for regrets now. Heading directly to the front desk, she secretly hoped she wouldn’t run into Mark before she’d freshened up.
