CJ stared at the phone. “What the—?” And then she dialed Colin. “Col! You are not going to believe this! They arrested Leonard Franklin, but not for murder. Some kind of securities fraud thing. Col? You there?” Colin had hesitated for a moment. This was exactly what he thought Snapper had been involved with. Insider trading. But how? Robotron was the most obvious clue.
“Yes, I’m here. Are you almost ready to leave? I can be there in half an hour. We can talk about this tonight.”
“I’ll be done shortly. See you in a few.” She hung up the phone, feeling deflated. Half a victory? It sucked.
Chapter 17
CJ really hadn’t thought about all the acquaintances she had made over the past twelve years. Most recently, with Snapper’s untimely death, many had come to offer assistance and say their good-byes before she left the office. She had been moved by their kindness—not the usual paranoia everyone in government seemed to display.
Regardless of everything that had happened since Snapper’s death, she still believed that he had not committed suicide but had been murdered. Murdered in order to shut him up. Murdered to protect the other conspirators. Most of whom were lawyers as well as public servants who had gone rogue. How ironic. Those who make the laws break the laws.
Once they had arrested Leonard Franklin, Agent Becker was taken off her security detail, but Colin stuck close by, spending most nights at the house. He was still driving her to and from work every day as well. He felt that doing so would help keep her on an even keel while she wrapped up this chapter of her life. A lot had happened in a short time, including getting a new car. Now the big question for CJ was what to do with the rest of her life. No other member of Congress had offered her a staff position. Maybe they thought it was too soon? She had no significant other. No siblings. No children. She was thirty-four and unemployed. Not a good scenario. And the fact that she was a multimillionaire with a substantial income from the restaurant chain of which she owned half, so had no financial worries, did not keep Colin from being concerned. CJ, he knew, was not the kind of person to look forward to a life of leisure.
“CJ, how about spending some time at the cabin? It might do you some good. Fresh air. The weather is great at this time of year. Whaddya say?” Colin was hoping that a change of scenery would give CJ the boost she needed. Sure, the makeover had helped, but there was an emptiness in her life that was palpable.
“Hmmmm. The cabin? It’s over two thousand square feet! Hardly a cabin.” CJ always thought referring to the vacation house as a cabin was ludicrous.
“Details. Details. It has a rustic look. Doesn’t that count? And it’s nestled in the woods, with a view of the water.” Colin was only half joking as he defended his favorite spot in the world.
CJ knew what Colin was trying to do, and she actually agreed. A change of scenery would do her some good.
“Okay. Let’s do it!” CJ’s mood brightened.
“Er . . . well . . . I wasn’t planning on going with you.” Colin sounded sheepish. “I have a couple of conferences coming up in Canada. One in Toronto, the other in Vancouver.”
CJ looked dejected. She had grown accustomed to Colin’s company for the past two months.
Trying not to sound disappointed, she chimed in, “Of course. I almost forgot. You have a life!” She mustered a laugh. “Speaking of which. What’s happening between you and Matt?”
“You on that again?” Colin shook his head in disbelief—not in disagreement.
“Yes I am. Well?” CJ put both hands on her hips. She wasn’t budging this time.
“Okay. Matt is coming with me to Vancouver. We hear the men are really hot!”
“Ha-ha, funny man. I mean are things getting serious?”
“Not just yet. We’re feeling our way. Don’t go there!”
“Where?” CJ asked innocently.
“You know. We want to spend time together to see if it will go anywhere. Look, we’re not kids. Relationships need time. We need time to get to know each other. Time when we’re not totally distracted with our work.”
“But don’t you have a conference?” CJ was back to being Nancy Drew.
“Yes, I do. But I am taking an extra five days away, so we can hang out and take in the sights.” Colin wasn’t sure how CJ would handle the news even though she had been a champion of his pursuing the relationship.
“Colin, I think that’s great! As I said, at least one of us should have someone. I’m happy for you. I like Matt. I think he’s a good man.”
“Me too. On both counts.”
“So I’ll plan on going to the cabin when you guys are in Vancouver. This way you won’t miss me so much!” CJ was starting to embrace a new adventure. “And I’ll try not to miss you!”
When the time came, Colin helped CJ pack her SUV. You would have thought she was going away for several months instead of a few weeks. Her stay at the cabin was open-ended. She would remain as long as she wanted. Needed. There were a lot of loose ends as far as indictments and trials, so she might as well enjoy the free time, clear her head, and make a plan for the rest of her life. At least a work in progress.
Just as she was about to leave, Colin took each of her shoulders in his hands and gave her a long stare in the eyes. “CJ, I promise, when I get back, we are going to kick your social life in the butt. Time is precious. Life is short. We should spend the time we have being happy.”
“Now who’s the philosophical one?” CJ’s eyes welled up.
They gave each other big bear hugs, and CJ climbed into her new Ford Escape, waved, opened the sun roof, and cranked up the music. “In the Long Run” by the Eagles was on the radio. “Don Henley is from Texas,” she shouted, reminding Colin of their bizarre trip together to California.
It was just under two hours to Colin’s place on the eastern shore. He had phoned ahead to Katrina and Eduard, the couple who took care of the house in his absence. He let them know that CJ was coming and that it should be cleaned and the kitchen stocked, including the wine cooler. He gave them a list of CJ’s favorite cheeses and vintages. He had house accounts at most places, so the bills would go directly to his office. Not that CJ needed any financial assistance. He simply wanted her to relax completely, without having to do any shopping.
When she pulled into the gravel driveway, a twinge of melancholy hit her as she began to think how much her life had changed in the past two months and how much closer she had gotten to Colin. She really hoped for his happiness.
Katrina welcomed her at the front door. “Welcome, Miss CJ. Happy to see you. Been long time. New hair? Looks beautiful!” Katrina, a tallish woman, maybe five-eight or–nine, with shoulder-length, blue-black hair, brown eyes, freckles, a pug nose, and a beauty mark at the corner of her wide mouth, was originally from Ukraine, and her husband was from Moldova. They had met one summer in Odessa when they were in their late teens. Now they were in their midthirties. Same as CJ. He worked as a nurse’s aide, and she was a domestic. Hardworking couple. Married for fourteen years. They kept the house immaculate.
CJ gave Katrina a big hug and took in the fresh, clean air. “It’s good to be here!” She started toward the hatch of the car to retrieve her belongings when Eduard, a redhead with green eyes, bushy eyebrows, an aquiline nose, small mouth, and neatly trimmed beard and mustache, came running up the road. “Miss CJ! No. That is job for me!” He was laughing as he playfully reprimanded her.
“My apologies!” CJ bowed her head in respect. “Good to see you both! I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying, so I may have overpacked!”
“No worries, Miss CJ. We will take care of everything. You hungry?” Katrina happened to be a very good cook. She had to be. Kick might have been a renowned chef, but he also liked to have good home cooking—as long as someone else did the work.
“I could use a bite to eat.” It occurred to CJ that she hadn’t had much of an appetite lately. “I’m actually hungry!” That came as a relief to her. Finally. Food started to be appealing aga
in.
“You go change clothes. Make comfortable yourself, and I have food on table in half hour.” Katrina still had an accent, but she had worked very hard at the English language. CJ had a lot of respect for the couple. They came here the hard way—in a freight container that was seized by the coast guard. They were lucky to be alive. They were told arrangements were made for them in the United States, and they would have sponsors. It would cost a mere ten thousand dollars . . . each. They worked for four years to amass that kind of money, borrowing from family with the promise that they would send for them once they got established in the US. A very common story. Once they turned over their money, they were herded into a truck with two dozen other immigrant hopefuls, only to realize they were about to become cargo. When they were discovered, they were all suffering from dehydration. They were able to get humanitarian asylum and start their lives over, minus the thousands of dollars they had paid to the smugglers.
It was Snapper who had facilitated their stay in America, and after hearing their story from CJ, Kick and Colin became their sponsors and helped them get on their feet. They were fiercely loyal to Kick, Colin, and CJ. They, too, had been devastated by Kick’s death and had vowed to take care of Colin and CJ no matter the time or the day.
CJ went to her usual guest bedroom and stepped out onto the small balcony that overlooked the woods. She was glad it didn’t face the water. It was that very river that had taken her brother. Or rather, it was that asshole on the Jet Ski. She often wondered why Colin stayed, but the place, he said, “felt like Kick.” It had brought them so much pleasure—from the parties to just chilling out. Leaning on the balcony and breathing in what felt like new air, she agreed it had been a good idea. She needed time to clear her head and attempt to plan the rest of her existence on the planet.
She spent the first few days taking walks, sitting on the deck, flipping through magazines, and feeding the squirrels. But mostly, she stared into space. Before the trip, she thought she had processed all the horrible events until the sound of one lone bird chirping on a branch made her burst into tears. The solitude of her own life smacked her right in the face. She was sobbing uncontrollably. It wasn’t until she started hiccupping that she noticed the mucus running down her face, which caused her to laugh out loud. “Get a grip, girl. You’re the definition of hysterical.” Then she realized she was talking to herself in the third person. “Oh yeah. I’m a red-hot mess.”
She pulled her denim shirt out of her jeans and wiped her face with the bottom, then started toward the house, hoping Katrina had whipped up some kind of comfort food.
The hair on the back of her neck started to crawl when she noticed a dark SUV parked a few yards from the house. It had been there all day. Odd. Everyone on the block had long driveways, and the houses were on at least two acres of land. She was about to investigate but thought better of it. “Enough, Nancy Drew. Go get something to eat.” Another round of talking to herself. When she reached the kitchen door, she thought she saw something move near the fence. “And you’re paranoid, too. Swell.”
Giving the heavy screen door a pull, CJ could smell the aroma of Katrina’s special chicken stew. “Oh, Miss CJ! I make special meal for you. I know it is most wintertime food, but you look like you need, yes?”
CJ put her arm around the woman. “I need. Yes!”
“Miss CJ, you cry? You okay?”
“I’m okay.” This time she used her sleeve to wipe her nose.
“You give me shirt. I wash. You go put on clean shirt, and I make plate for you.”
“Deal!” CJ was slowly coming out of her melancholy. Katrina’s chicken paprika was always a good antidote for just about anything. She started to climb the steps, glanced out the window, and thought she saw something move in the brush. Again? Gotta stop this.
When she entered her room, she noticed that the window screen was not seated in the sill properly. She thought maybe Eduard had done the windows and hadn’t replaced the screen in the track. She yelled down toward the kitchen, “Katrina? Did Eduard wash the screens and windows?”
“Not today. He do last week.”
Huh. CJ could have sworn the screen had been in the proper grooves when she opened the window that morning. Her inner voice was sending signals, but her mind was resisting its calls. “Everything is fine,” she told herself in a low whisper. “But what if it isn’t?” She looked in the mirror and saw another rustling in the bushes out of the corner of her eye. Pulling on a clean sweatshirt, she ran down the steps. “Katrina! Where is Eduard?” She was almost in a panic.
“He go to landscape place to get more soil for herb garden. You say you want herb garden, yes?” Katrina was confused by CJ’s sudden agitation. It was different from the sad mood of just a few minutes before.
“Help me lock the doors!” CJ was scrambling to shut and lock all the sliding doors out to the grounds.
“Miss CJ? Miss CJ? What is problem? Is beautiful outside! Why close and lock doors?”
“Katrina, please call Eduard and tell him to come here now!”
“But what about herb garden?”
“Screw the herb garden. Get him back here, now!” CJ pulled out her phone and hit the speed dial for Colin. It went straight to voice mail. Then she tried Matt’s. Same thing. Voice mail.
“Damn. Damn. Damn.”
“Miss CJ? Please! What is problem?” Katrina was beginning to feel afraid as she watched the woman who was always calm become terror-stricken.
CJ had sent a quick text to Eduard: Come to house. Trouble! He sent a reply: What? and she replied with: Now! Come now!
“Set the alarm!” CJ was shouting orders. “Where is Eduard?” She was close to hyperventilating.
“He come soon! Miss CJ? What I do? What he do?”
“Nothing! It’s not you. Not Eduard. I think someone is watching the house.”
“Yes, Miss CJ. We watch house for you.” Katrina was attempting to console her.
CJ’s voice became a whisper. “That’s not what I meant. Someone is outside. Looking into the house.” CJ went into the pantry and unlocked the cabinet containing the only shotgun in the house. She pulled it out though she did not have a clue how to load it or use it. But if she had to, she would learn in a big hurry.
Katrina clutched her throat in fear. “Who? Who look here?”
“I don’t know, but we need to sit still until Eduard gets here.”
“We call the police?”
“No. Not yet.” CJ was starting to wonder if the person outside had been sent by Leonard Franklin. Realizing she had scared the crap out of Katrina, CJ took several deep breaths and slowed down. “I think there may be someone following me.” She saw the horrified look on Katrina’s face. “Don’t worry. I know someone who can help.” If only he’d answer the damn phone, she thought to herself. “It’s going to be okay.” She grabbed Katrina’s hand, not sure which of them needed the most comfort at that point.
The minutes seemed like decades until they heard Eduard’s truck spin into the gravel driveway. He ran toward the front as CJ disarmed the alarm and let him in.
“What is the problem?” He was almost as frenzied as the two of them.
“Eduard.” CJ was feeling less threatened now that Eduard was back—at least he knew how to use a shotgun. “I think someone may have followed me from Washington.”
“But who?” Eduard was confused. He knew very little about the circumstances that had surrounded CJ except that her boss had committed suicide.
“I’m not sure.” She then realized that neither had known about the two attempts on her life. “Listen. There are some bad people who have done some very bad things. They think I may have information that can hurt them, but I don’t.” She knew she was lying, but she didn’t want them to freak out.
“Information?” Eduard was familiar with very bad people. “What kind information?”
“It’s very complicated, but we are going to be okay. I just need you to stay with me until my friend ca
n tell me what to do. It may mean you both stay here tonight. Can you do that for me?” She was half pleading while trying not to sound desperate.
“Yes. We stay.” Eduard took the shotgun from the table. “And this stay with me, Miss CJ.” He gave her a reassuring smile as he patted the gun.
They had been sitting quietly for several moments when the doorbell rang, practically catapulting all three of them out of their chairs. CJ went to the intercom, pushed the button, and calmly asked, “Who is it?”
A husky voice answered. “Crestview Cable. We got a complaint that this area has no service. We need to check your cable boxes.”
“Like hell you do,” she muttered. Then, in her normal voice, she responded, “All of our service is fine. Sorry to inconvenience you.”
The bell rang again.
“What?” CJ was annoyed now and didn’t care if it showed.
“I need you to sign off on it, ma’am. Otherwise, my supervisor will think I didn’t come out here.”
“Tell him to call me.” CJ looked at Katrina and Eduard and rolled her eyes.
“This is private property, mister. If you don’t leave immediately, I will call the police, then your supervisor and file a complaint. If you want to keep your job, and not be arrested, I suggest you leave right now. Got it?”
The sound of receding footsteps was followed by the roar of a truck’s engine. Eduard made his way to the front window and watched the Crestview Cable truck back out of the driveway. Looking at CJ, he shrugged. “Maybe he was okay, Miss CJ. He come with truck.”
“You guys probably think I’m crazy, but I don’t want to take any chances. You know that my boss is dead, right? Well, even though it was ruled a suicide, I don’t think he killed himself. Everyone else thinks he did, but I don’t.” She made her way to the wine cooler and pulled out a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Who cared if it was only lunchtime? Europeans had wine with every meal. She was so anxious, she practically pulled the cork out with her teeth.
“Katrina, what about that stew?”
Deep Harbor Page 17
