Cold Heart

by Sheila Dryden

  She put a pillow under his head and leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. She cared, she cared a lot. How was that possible in such a short amount of time? No, come on Lexi, it wasn’t a short time. She had loved him since she was twelve. She’d barely known him but had conjured up this image of him in a preteen fantasy and every boy and every man in her life so far, had been compared to him. Not one of them had ever measured up to that fantasy guy. Wasn’t she fortunate that the real one actually had?

  .

  24

  They had begun arriving about an hour before the scheduled time for the memorial; every woman carrying a cake, a casserole, a sweet loaf or buns, cookies, brownies or a coffee cake. There was not one food category that had been overlooked. When Lexi arrived they were already piled three deep covering the entire length of the kitchen island.

  “Oh my goodness Carter,” Lexi said as she came into the great room.

  The door had been opened by one of Carter’s former foster brothers who’d introduced himself and then set about determining exactly what her relationship to the deceased had been. When he seemed satisfied that she was someone he definitely should admit she had been allowed to enter the premises.

  “I see you passed Bob’s inspection.” Carter said.

  “Yes apparently. What’s with him?” Lexi said.

  “He’s a little, shall we say, different? Come here,” Carter said.

  She obliged and he took her in his arms.

  “Did you get my note?” he said.

  “Yes, but there were no apologies necessary,” she said. “You were dead on your feet, had a drink too many and fell asleep.”

  “I know but ... you know,” he said.

  “It’ll happen, Carter, when the time is right,” She said.

  “Ahem,” Bob interrupted. “More people with food.”

  “Thanks buddy,” he said “I better start mingling. Lexi can you continue trying to get this stuff in the fridge, there is also a fridge in the garage and we can try that, too?”

  “What are you going to do with all this?” Lexi said.

  “We’ll put some of the baking out for the people who come but for the rest we’ll be making a trip to the local shelters” he said. “Except for Mrs. Lorenzo’s lasagna, if one of those comes in, don’t let it out of your sight and if she brings garlic bread to go with it, hang on to that too,” he said.

  “Okay,” Lexi had to laugh. “I will do my best.”

  She started with the outside fridge and went back and forth until it was completely full. Then she came back into the kitchen just in time to meet Mrs. Lorenzo, who had indeed brought lasagna and garlic bread.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, I’ve heard so much about your lasagna and I understand it’s one of Carter’s favourites,” Lexi said.

  “Such a sad, sad day,” she said, wiping away a tear with a handkerchief.”

  Lexi wasn’t sure just what to say then but mercifully was rescued by the appearance of Bob at her side who informed her that everyone was here and they were ready to start. Lexi was dumbfounded by the number of people who had turned up. Carter had hired a caterer who had set up a bar and some light refreshments. It was a very informal gathering and it seemed the room was bursting at the seams. Carter interrupted to say a few words. He managed to get through most of it without emotion except at the last.

  Carter said he’d known his mother had touched a lot of lives but he hadn’t realized quite how many, until today. Seeing so many of them in this room, it had really sunk in. He mentioned that her dying words were to give him instructions about taking bread to someone in need. That was when his voice cracked and he fought to maintain control. He thanked everyone for their generous gifts of food and told them he hoped they wouldn’t be offended if some of it went to the needy.

  He asked if anyone else wanted to say anything and it had gone on for an hour. People she had fed, people she had babysat for, people she had nursed when they were sick, or counselled when they were struggling. So many lives touched so many grateful people. When the last of the visitors had finally left Carter finally sat down for a moment. Lexi went up behind the chair and put her hands on his shoulder and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

  “You okay,” she said.

  “I will be,” he said.

  “She’d have been really proud today,” Lexi said.

  “I hope so,” Carter said. “She was a hell of a woman and it was a life well lived, just too damn short.”

  “Sure was,” Lexi said.

  “Thank you for being here today, Lexi,” he said. “It meant a lot to me.”

  “I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else,” she said.

  “Now,” said Carter, getting up. “We have food to deliver and we better get going. I don’t want any of it spoiling.”

  “Okay,” she said. Let’s get at it.”

  “But first,” he said. “I have to ask. The lasagna is safe, right?”

  “Yes,” Lexi said and smiled. “It’s safe.”

  “And was there garlic bread?” he asked.

  “Uh huh,” she said. “There was garlic bread and it’s safe too.”

  “Sweet,” he said giving that a two thumbs up.

  It took them two hours to get all the food delivered. Carter had cherry picked maybe a half a dozen other things that he really liked or casseroles that were in a dish that must be returned but the rest he told Lexi needed to go to someone who would eat it right away. Otherwise it would languish in his freezer until it was old and freezer burned and that would be a terrible waste.

  When they were done they went back to Carter’s. Bob was still there along with three of the other foster brothers who had stayed behind and had cleaned up. They would be staying over. Lexi helped Carter get a couple of the casseroles in the oven and she made a salad.

  “I’m going to head out now,” she said to Carter.

  “No, stay please,” he said.

  “I need to get home to Tucker and you need this time with the guys,” she said. “But I want some of that Lasagna tomorrow for sure okay.”

  Carter pouted. “Okay but how about you take it now and then we’ll eat it together tomorrow,” he said. “I have to go down to Napa. The funeral home called earlier and Mom’s ashes are ready to pick up and I’d just as soon get it over with.”

  “Well I can certainly understand that. You come by when you get back,” she said.

  “It’s a deal,” he said.

  He went and got the lasagna and the garlic bread out of the fridge and walked out to the porch. The boys were all sitting on the porch catching up and she said her goodbyes as she went past. Carter walked her out to her SUV and put the casserole and bread on the passenger’s seat. Then he came around to her side and gave her a big kiss amid cat calls and whistles from the porch. Lexi had to laugh. It was good that Carter could join them and have some laughs.

  She made the short drive home but when she pulled up Tucker did not run down off the porch to greet her. The landscapers had not been there today. Mark had asked her yesterday if she minded if they took a couple of days to start another job. Otherwise they risked losing it and Lexi had told him she was fine with that. So the place was quiet.

  “Hey Tucker,” Lexi called. “Sorry I was gone so long. Let’s go get you some dinner okay. Tucker, come on boy.”

  She headed for the front door, unlocked it and took the lasagna and bread through to the kitchen and put them on the counter. She would put them in the fridge when she brought Tucker in. She went back out to the porch and was just about to call Tucker again when she thought she heard a whimper.

  “Tucker, is that you? Here boy,”

  Lexi walked back down the steps and walked around the side of the building and suddenly she heard something behind her but before she could turn around she was grabbed and a damp cloth was put across her nose and mouth and she smelled a pungent odor. The thought that it might be chloroform crossed her mind briefly as she felt woozy and weak kneed.
She was unable to resist as a man dragged her to the back of her own SUV and threw her in. Only then did she realize it was Mitch. He taped her mouth and zap strapped her wrists together. He left the back open and her instinct was to try to run but she couldn’t make her legs move. The next thing she knew her semi conscious dog was put in beside her.

  The vehicle drove slowly down the driveway. When they reached the road the car sped up. After maybe a half hour the car turned, slowed and then stopped. She heard the door slam and then heard some kind of muffled sound. Her kidnapper got back in the vehicle and it drove forward a few feet and through the back window she could see they were driving inside a building. The SUV stopped. The door slammed again and she heard the same sound again which must have been a garage door.

  The back opened and she was staring at Mitch. Fear pooled in her stomach. Lexi could only protest in muffled moans as he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out and into a standing position. They were inside some kind of warehouse. No, it was an airplane hangar. She had been in one once with her father and it looked just like this, only full of planes. There were broken windows and debris littered the floor. It was a deserted hangar. Mitch wasted no time as he half walked, half dragged her to a doorway and then down a set of stone stairs that led down into the basement. They walked across an open area to another door and he opened it, flipped on a light then took her in and tied her to a pipe that ran along the back wall. He turned, left the room and he closed the door.

  Lexi was in shock. What did Mitch think he was doing? He couldn’t just take her and lock her up. This was crazy. People would come looking for her. Carter would come looking for her. She struggled with the zap straps that bound her hands but they were not budging. The tape across her mouth made her want to gag. She tried to slow her breathing and calm down but she couldn’t, she was totally panicked. What were they doing with Tucker? Why had he whimpered? Had he been hurt or just drugged? He was with her in the SUV. Where was he now? What were they going to do with her SUV?

  She wasn’t sure how much time had passed only that it had seemed like an eternity when suddenly the door opened. It was Mitch again and this time he dumped two suitcases in the room, her suitcases. Then he was gone again and the light switched off. Why were her suitcases here? With a sinking feeling she knew the answer. They’re trying to make it look like I left town she thought. But again what good would that do them they still wouldn’t have title to the land.

  Tears pricked at the backs of her eyes. She wanted to stay calm but she was beginning to feel the hopelessness of the situation. The door opened again and it was Mitch and he was carrying Tucker only this time Montgomery was with him. There was a table and chair in the corner and Montgomery put some papers down on it.

  “Well Lexi, nice to see you again,” Montgomery said.

  Mitch put the dog down and used a rope to tie him to the pipe. Then he untied Lexi from the pipe. He took her over to the table and chair and sat her down. He cut the zap straps off her hands but then immediately zap strapped her left hand to the chair. Montgomery pushed a document in front of her and put a pen down on top of it.

  “I’ve marked the places where you need to sign and then there are a few spots that just require initials,” Montgomery said and he ripped the duct tape off her mouth.

  “I’m not signing anything,” she said defiantly.

  “Cut one of the dog’s feet off,” he said to Mitch.

  “No!!!” Lexi yelled. “Don’t you dare hurt Tucker.”

  “I’ll dare to do whatever I want,” Montgomery said

  “Do it Mitch, so she knows we mean business,” he said.

  Mitch produced an axe and approached a very groggy Tucker who immediately began to whine.

  “Stop! Don’t! Please don’t.” Lexi sobbed. “I’ll sign whatever you want, just please don’t hurt Tucker.”

  “Hold up Mitch,” Montgomery said.

  “You never get away with this,” Lexi said. “No one will think I did this willingly.”

  “Well knowing and thinking are two different things.” He said.

  Montgomery shoved the pen at her and Lexi, her hand shaking, signed in the appropriate places. She knew she had just signed her death sentence as well.

  “Now, the other paper is so you can write Carter a letter, a goodbye letter. You’re going to explain why you decided to call me and let me buy the property. Then tell him you are leaving town and going to make a fresh start somewhere. Now get writing.”

  “This is so stupid,” Lexi said. “He’s never going to believe this.”

  “Well you’d better hope for your boyfriend’s sake he does. You better make it convincing,” Montgomery said.

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” Lexi said.

  “Oh, I beg to differ. It’s been very entertaining listening to you two lovebirds,” Montgomery said.

  “What?” Lexi said. “Are you telling me you have bugged my place?”

  “It was so easy,” Mitch said. “Get writing.”

  Lexi was horrified to think these two had been listening to her. Mitch must have planted a bug or bugs when he brought the wine over. No wonder they seemed to know her comings and goings. What could she say in this letter? He wasn’t going to buy it, no matter what she said. It would seem completely ridiculous to him. She started to write, she wanted to give him some clue but she had no idea how she could weave that into her explanation. She didn’t even know where the airport was so she couldn’t give a clue to her whereabouts.

  Dear Carter

  I know this is going to come as a shock especially after how close we have become, but I have decided to sell the property to Montgomery after all. I have given this a lot of thought over the last few days and I feel that it’s just too much for me to handle this whole renovation. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about this in person. I care for you but it’s all just happening too fast and I need to get away and make a fresh start somewhere else. Now, with the money from the property I’ll finally be able to afford to do that. Goodbye and thanks for everything.

  Lexi

  Carter would see through it immediately because he knew that money was not an issue for her. At least she was pretty sure he did. Was it too subtle? No, he would see through this right away but whether it would be in time she had no idea. Montgomery read the letter.

  “Pretty good,” he said. “Get this over to her house Mitch and for heaven’s sake don’t let anyone see you,” Montgomery said.

  “I’m not an amateur old man, just let me handle this,” Mitch said.

  “We’ll keep you and your dog alive until everything clears escrow, not sure how long that will take,” Montgomery said. “Your car will be seen at some gas stations and your credit card will be used. Just in case anyone decides they don’t buy this.”

  “You have to let Tucker go, he can’t tell anyone anything. Leave him at my place. Carter will think I decided to leave him behind. Please, I’ll add it to my letter, please,” Lexi said.

  “Not taking any chances with that dog leading anyone here,” he said. “He stays with you.”

  Mitch cut the zap strap and did both hands up with a new one and then pushed her over to the wall and down on the floor and tied her to the pipe again. Tucker who was rousing now crawled over and lay down beside her and put his head in her lap. The two men left the room and flipped the light off. She heard the door lock.

  25

  Carter called Lexi just before ten that night hoping to chat a little before she called it a night. There was no answer so he decided maybe she had gone to bed early. He’d had a great visit with his former foster brothers. She had been right that it was better that it just be guy time. They had done lots of reminiscing about his mom and they had consumed a couple of those casseroles and a couple of desserts. They’d also consumed more than a few beers and now were winding down. Carter was glad of that. He was dog tired and the thought of an all-nighter with these guys was not something he was up for.

  He was really di
sappointed that he hadn’t been able to speak to Lexi. It was going to seem like a long time until dinner time tomorrow if he couldn’t see her until then. You’ve got it bad, boy, he told himself and smiled. Maybe he would drop by on his way to Napa, depending on how early or late these fellas started heading out. That decided, he felt better and went and joined them again.

  It was nearly midnight before they called it a night. Carter pulled out a bunch of sleeping bags and they were all over the place. In the morning he put on coffee and bacon early hoping the smells would wake them and he could get this show on the road, as he was determined to see Lexi before he headed south. It had taken until nearly ten thirty before they were all up so that by the time he’d filled their bellies with pancakes and bacon and said the goodbyes and sent them on their way, it was almost noon. He couldn’t possibly take the time to stop at Lexi’s now as he needed to be back by dinner time and to make the drive to Napa and back was two hours each way, then he would have horses to deal with and ... well it just wasn’t going to happen.

  Disappointed, he left the dirty dishes, dealt with Roxy’s mid day meal and then jumped in his car and headed out. He had to keep reminding himself to slow down. He found himself whistling at one point and given the reason for the drive he had to laugh at the irony. He reached Napa and the funeral home in record time and was in and out of there in twenty minutes. He started back by two-thirty. He had no time to spare if he was going to deal with the horses and have a shower before getting to Lexi’s at a reasonable time. He pushed the gas pedal a little harder. When he stopped for fuel he tried calling her, first on her cell and then on the land line. There was no answer. It was odd but maybe she had needed to go to town for something but why wasn’t she then answering her cell phone? She must be driving.

  He made it home by four-thirty and dealt with the horses as quickly as he could then headed into the house to shower. On his way to the bathroom he dialed both her numbers again and again got no answer. He was growing concerned. He showered and changed and then grabbed his keys, a bottle of wine and headed out to the car. He made the short drive between the two properties in record time.