Paul’s morning shift had finished at two o’clock. As he drove his Mustang along the road beside Windsor Lake, he reflected it was two weeks to the day since the Bird Island trip. If he truly wanted to contact Riley, he should do so without further delay. Slowing to a crawl, he approached the driveway leading to her house and there she was, waving. His heart missed a beat as he stopped the car beside the fateful mailbox and got out. They met at the bottom of the driveway.
Riley looked very attractive in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and rather dirty sneakers, but she didn’t smile, which was a pity.
“Hi, there,” she said. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”
Paul thought she sounded a bit down. “I’m on my way home from work. I don’t get Regatta Day off. But how come you didn’t go?”
“Someone stole my car.”
“Oh, no! That’s awful. When did it happen?”
“The night before last. The thing is, there’s another problem. The car isn’t exactly mine. It’s on loan from Charlie Fudge—sort of.”
“That’s even worse. Who’s Charlie Fudge?”
“Doris Fudge’s brother-in-law. You know her, Paul. She owns the store. He has a garage just down the road. Look, I’d like to get back in case the police call. How about some coffee?”
“Um…yeah, sure. I’d like that.”
They started up the hill toward the house.
“Where was the car when it disappeared?” Paul continued.
“Right here outside the house. I didn’t hear a thing.”
They walked on in silence.
As Riley opened the front door, Paul had an idea. “Why don’t we skip coffee and go look for it?”
Riley turned. “That’s real nice of you, but I wouldn’t want to ruin your afternoon. Besides, Charlie’s already checked Dog Cove Road right back to Windsor Lake.”
“That’s not much of a search. If some kid was joyriding, he’d probably dump it along a side road so there are a lot of other places we could look. I don’t have anything to do this afternoon anyway and I’d like to help.”
“In that case how can I refuse? But are you sure about the coffee?”
“I’ll take a rain check ‘til we get back.”
When they reached the car, Riley walked around it, touching the shiny red finish. “This is really something. It’ll be great to have a ride in it.”
“I have a big weakness for cars,” said Paul as he opened the passenger’s door. “Unfortunately, it’s an expensive hobby, so I have to look on this baby as an investment. Twenty years from now it could be worth something.”
As soon as he was settled behind the wheel, Paul took a map out of the pocket in the door and handed it to Riley. “We have to be realistic about this. The chances of finding your car are pretty remote.”
Their eyes met.
“It’s better than sitting around doing nothing, that’s for sure,” said Riley. “And we’ll get to know each other in the process.”
At last, a smile crossed her elfin features. Paul felt a thrill, then realized he was blushing.
“Let’s cover the area to the north of here,” he suggested. “I don’t know the side roads very well, so how about you navigate and look for the car?”
The task at hand left them with little time for normal conversation. Riley was constantly directing Paul to take the next turnoff or warning him that they were about to come to a dead end. In spite of this, he was very conscious of being alone with a girl after so long, especially such an attractive one. Whenever he had the chance, which was frequently, he cast a sidelong glance at her. Before long, he knew he was getting hooked.
It was quite a while before Paul parked the Mustang in the wagon’s spot and switched off the ignition. Riley folded the map.
“So much for that,” she commented. “But the drive was fun and you’ve cheered me up. Come on in and have a beer. You can cash in your rain check for coffee another time.”
Paul glanced at his watch. “A beer would be great but I can’t stay long. My parents are having friends to dinner around six-thirty. I’m supposed to be there.”
Riley smiled for a second time. “To the fridge then.”
They sat in opposite chairs at the dining table with glasses of beer and a bag of chips.
Paul raised his drink. “Here’s to finding your car!”
Riley followed suit.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” he went on, “how’s Joni? Did she like Newfoundland?”
“Sure thing, she had a great time. After the Bird Islands, we spent two days at Terra Nova Park. It was quite spectacular. I missed her when she left but it was fantastic having her here.” Riley glanced through the window at the Mustang. “No more bad things happened either and I thought that was the end of them. But it was wishful thinking because the wagon’s been stolen.”
“Tell me about those other things, Riley, apart from the rat in the mailbox, that is.”
Well…soon after that, a bullet went through the deck door.” Riley described each of the incidents briefly, ending with her narrow escape from the drunk driver.
Paul felt the blood drain from his face as she went into that one in detail. He wanted to go over and comfort her but felt too shy to do so. Besides, it had happened almost a month ago.
“At that point,” Riley concluded, “I started to think about selling up and going back to Toronto. Then Joni came and like I said, the bad things stopped. Now they seem to have started again. As a matter of fact, there’s something I forgot. It wasn’t exactly a bad thing, just a little odd. Last week, a realtor drove up with a huge offer for the property, and the place isn’t even for sale.”
Paul swigged some beer. “Go on.”
Riley added, “I was tempted to follow it up but Mr. McGrath thought there was something fishy about it. He’s my lawyer, by the way.” Riley sighed. “I suppose I could still put the place on the market.”
Paul was beginning to feel a bit depressed, both for himself and for Riley. The last thing he wanted was for her to leave before they got to know each other, but on the other hand, her safety was at stake. Surely her RCMP friend would start wondering and investigate. He should be able to find out who was responsible and put a stop to it all. But time was getting on; he had to leave.
“Riley, I’d like to do something useful,” he said. “Unfortunately, I have to go home right now. Tomorrow afternoon, I promised to do the Bird Islands thing. Maybe I could have that coffee on Friday? If the car hasn’t turned up by then, we could drive around some more.”
Riley brightened. “Sure. That would be great!”
They both drained their glasses and stood. Paul led the way to the front door.
“I’ll see you about the same time,” he said. “Meanwhile, your story’s given me something to think about. It’s all too weird, not to mention scary. Everything has to be connected, but how, I can’t imagine.”
The two walked over to the Mustang but before Paul had a chance to open the door, Riley put a hand on his arm. “It’s real nice of you to give up your afternoon. I feel a lot better now, honestly.” She almost had to tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek.
Paul was completely taken aback by this gesture. From now on, he would make it his business to look after Riley as much as he could.
“Try not to worry,” he said, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “See you Friday.”
Riley slept well that night. The outing with Paul seemed to have put things on an even keel. She had certainly been attracted to him in the first place, but by now he was far more than just a handsome face with fair hair, blue eyes and a firm mouth. He did seem rather quiet, though. She had noticed it while they were looking for the wagon. On the other hand, he’d been much more outgoing on the Bird Island trip. Maybe he was a bit shy while they were alone together. Whatever the reason, the more she was with him, the more she liked him.
On the following day, Thursday, Riley decided to check in with Charlie, albeit with s
ome trepidation. However, there was no reply. Well, at least she’d tried.
Shortly before ten o’clock on Friday morning, the phone rang.
“Hello, is that you Riley? This is John Kelly.”
“Hi, John! Have you found the station wagon?”
“We sure have, but I’m afraid it’s a write off. Someone ran it over the cliff at Bottom Cove.”
“Oh, no!” Riley cried. “But where’s Bottom Cove?”
“On the other side of Middle Cove about halfway to Cape St. Francis.”
Riley thought for a moment. “Well, at least I’ll get the insurance.”
“I expect the company will want to check it out,” the Sergeant went on. “Ask them to call the police station before five. I’ll tell them exactly where it is.”
“Thanks a lot. I’ll get onto them right now. But how did you find it in such an out-of-the-way place?”
“Got a tip from someone out fishing. By the way, I’d like to drop in sometime during the next couple of days. I’m a bit concerned about all that’s happened since you moved here. It’s not natural. We should talk it over.”
“A good thought, John. Come over by all means. And give me a buzz in case I’m out.”
The sergeant hung up.
Riley went to the spare bedroom where there was a gray filing cabinet nestling on a green carpet. She extracted her automobile insurance policy and took it to the dining table. There was no doubt that it covered the wagon for theft, so she called the company at once. The clerk gave her a rough idea how much she would get and asked her to fill out a claim at the office in town as soon as possible. Meanwhile, an assessor would check out Bottom Cove.
The next thing she did was call Charlie.
“‘Ello, Riley,” he greeted. “Any news?”
“Yeah. I hate to tell you, the wagon was driven off the cliff at Bottom Cove.”
“She was, was she? I ‘opes it was covered by your insurance policy.”
“Of course, Charlie.” Riley told him the amount.
“That much, eh?” came the reply. “It’s a few ‘undred more’n I’d expect.” Charlie chuckled. “I liked that old wagon, but I’d sooner ‘ave the money and buy a newer one.”
“I’ve got to fill out a claim. Are you going into town this morning?”
“Yis, my girl. I was just goin’ out the door when you called. Pick you up in five minutes.”
“Great. See you in a bit.”
During the drive to St. John’s, they discussed what to do about the money. The answer was simple. Riley would keep the amount that Charlie would have paid to buy back the wagon and give him the rest. He was so pleased that he promised to lend her a car while he scouted around for something she could buy herself. She could pick up the loaner on the way home.
Ten minutes after Riley returned to the house, Paul drove up. She hurried out to meet him.
“For a moment I thought you had a visitor,” he said as they stood beside the Mustang. “But I guess that’s a loaner.” He indicated a rusty blue Pontiac sedan.
“It’s Charlie’s. By the way, John Kelly called earlier.” She told him about the day’s developments as they went into the house.
“It’s nice to have my wheels back,” she concluded. “Okay. What’s next, coffee?”
Paul stood in the kitchen doorway watching her load the coffee maker. “I’m real pleased it’s all worked out. I think this calls for a celebration, don’t you? How about dinner tomorrow?”
Riley felt a small surge of excitement. Something good had come out of the car business after all. She glanced at Paul. “I’d like that a lot.” She switched on the coffee maker then kissed him on the cheek. “You’re a very sweet person.”
Their eyes met. Unable to stop herself, she slid her arms around his neck. This time, the kiss was on his mouth, gentle at first then passionate.
“Oh, God!” she whispered as they parted.
Paul gave a sigh of relief. “For a moment I thought I’d overstepped—”
Riley pulled his head down and kissed him hard for a second time, then the smile took over. “I think I’d better pour the coffee, don’t you, Mr. Sutherland? Let’s have it on the deck.”
“I’ll set up the lawn chairs.” Paul opened the deck door and went outside.
When Riley followed, he was gazing across the garden and out over Conception Bay. She put the mugs of coffee on the deck table.
“You’ve sure got a nice place,” he said.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? But I’m beginning to wonder what it will be like in winter. It’s hard to imagine the driveway with several feet of snow on it.”
“A lot of people get theirs plowed,” Paul replied. “I’m sure Doris knows someone who’ll do it. But does this mean you’re not going to leave?”
“To be quite honest, I’m dithering. What bothers me most is the near miss by the drunk driver. And if anything happens to me, there are my parents to think of, particularly as I’m an only child. They’re away in Australia and won’t be back for about six months.”
“Australia! What are they doing there?”
Riley told Paul how her biological mother had died in a car crash when she was an infant, and how her father was working with a firm of chartered accountants in Canberra. When she took a mouthful of coffee, their eyes met over the rim of her mug. He was looking at her intently.
“I don’t know what to say,” he commented. “But you seem to be a happy family.”
“We’re real close, that’s for sure.”
“My family’s rather ordinary,” Paul said. “I have an older sister who’s married and lives in Vancouver, then there’s my aunt and uncle in Montreal. I spent my vacation with them. They have a son and a daughter who are about my age. We had a ball. My parents came over from Scotland before I was born. They retired last year and bought a bungalow out of town. It’s in a small subdivision by Conception Bay on the northern boundary of Topsail. The living room overlooks the barachois. I’m staying in the basement apartment for now. It’s quite a good arrangement but I feel I should move out fairly soon. I guess I’ll miss the place, though.”
“What’s a barachois?” Riley asked.
“It’s a freshwater lagoon separated from the sea by a long ridge of sand or pebbles.”
“You said your parents came from Scotland,” Riley went on. “My stepmother’s best friend lived there for years. I’ve always wanted to go for a visit.”
At this point, she wondered why Paul didn’t seem to have a girlfriend but wasn’t about to try and find out. If he wanted her to know, he’d tell her soon enough. One thing seemed almost certain, he wasn’t married.
“How about a walk before you leave?” Riley suggested. “If we go to the end of the trail, it takes about half an hour.”
“I think I’d better take another rain check,” Paul replied. “One of the guys at the weather office is retiring. We’re having a party this evening.” Paul finished his coffee. “I nearly forgot,” he added. “I don’t have your phone number; it’s not in the book.”
“I’ll find something to write it on.” Riley led the way to the kitchen.
She scribbled the number on an old grocery receipt, which Paul put in his wallet. That done, they headed for the Mustang.
Paul opened the car door then took her in his arms.
Riley extricated herself after the kiss. “I think you’d better go, Mr. Sutherland,” she said with a smile. “You’re making my knees weak.”
Paul slid behind the wheel. “See you tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”
“So am I,” said Riley and shut the car door.
Chapter Ten
Be Careful What You Eat
The sickness hit Riley soon after a late breakfast on Saturday morning. The weather was warm but cloudy at the time and she was inspecting the lawn, which was much too long. Tonight was the big night with Paul, dinner at the Hotel Newfoundland. If she could rustle up the energy to do some mowing, the exercise would give her a
healthy appetite. She was walking to the shed when her legs began to feel wobbly, then her stomach knotted into terrible cramps. Riley barely made it to the bathroom.
The next few hours were sheer misery. In a sea of pain, she alternately shivered and sweated and spent most of the time on the toilet. It wasn’t until the symptoms subsided enough for her to take a glass of water that she was able to think reasonably. She would have to call Paul and postpone her first date in—well, never mind—but not until she had a rest. Riley made it to the bedroom, struggled into her nightdress then crawled into bed and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.
Without being aware of it, she drifted into a fitful doze until something jogged her awake. Maybe it was the phone call niggling at the back of her mind. It would be best to get it over before the cramps returned. She eased herself out of bed and tried to stand but the room tilted and she almost lost her balance. The only phone in the house was by the front door and it seemed a mile away, but with a superhuman effort she made it.
Paul answered after three rings.
“It’s me,” said Riley. “Paul, I’m sorry. We’ll have to put off tonight. I’ve got the most God-awful stomach cramps.”
Paul sighed. “That’s too bad. Is there anything I can do like get you some medicine or something?”
“No…it’s all right. I can manage.” Riley steadied herself against the front door. “On second thought, would you mind dropping by, just for moral support?”
“Of course not. I’ll leave right now. See you soon. And drink lots of water.”
“I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
She hung up, then staggered back to the bathroom. As soon as the bout was over, Riley glanced in the mirror. Apart from a very washed-out complexion with dark-ringed eyes, she noticed that her summer nightdress was, to put it mildly, somewhat revealing. There was a thicker one in the bedroom closet, short-sleeved and pale blue. It made her feel far too hot to get under the bedclothes, so she lay down on top. In an instant, she was asleep.
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