by Alice Sharpe
“You also told her B.O. wanted her to go home.”
“Exactly.”
“So, who tried to knife her last night? The guy from Macon?”
“That’s right. That knife must be his calling card. I was getting ready to intercede when she took off into the water. She took care of herself that time, but the girl’s luck has got to be running thin.”
“And just why does B.O. want her back here?”
“Well, now, you see, B.O. thinks she needs to start acting like a proper widow.”
“In what way?”
“We hear she stands to inherit a lot of money from her late husband. She can’t do that if she’s dead in an alley somewhere, now can she?”
Mac put two and two together. “Her husband left gambling debts. B.O. wants her to settle them.”
“Exactly. Danny-boy wasn’t a lucky fellow with the dice.”
“And this B.O. had nothing to do with Kate ending up in Billington, Indiana?”
“Now you’re being stupid.”
“So humor me.”
As Elvis moved, Mac realized the black squares on the white socks were dice, the pips represented by sequins. “I got here a couple of weeks ago to scope things out,” Elvis said. “Right about the time I’m getting ready to make a sales pitch to the pretty lady about honoring her old man’s debts—or else—I see her classy little Mercedes leaving town, only she’s not behind the wheel. She’s all slumped over in the passenger seat.
“I start following. The trip took forever. Start and go, long delays, but never once did that girl get out of the car. I don’t think she even woke up. Next thing I know, I’m in Indiana. Never been in Indiana before. Can’t imagine why anyone would want to live there, especially in the winter. Anyway, the boss says to keep her in my sights, so I keep her in my sights.”
“Then you saw the man who did this to her!”
“Yeah, I saw him. The same guy who forced her out of that bar in Macon, the same guy I winged, the same guy who attacked her last night.”
“So if we go to the police—”
The small man stood so quickly the chair jumped back against the wall. “Nobody is going to the cops, especially not me,” he said, waving his pearl-handled gun. “I saved her up in Macon. Okay, so I only winged him before he got away—if I hadn’t come along, she’d be dead. I’m here this morning to tell you to keep a better eye on that girl ’cause that creep is back and I don’t think he’ll settle for another cross-country drive this time. Hate to see anything happen to such a pretty lady.”
“Before B.O. gets his money.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, just tell me a few things. Did you see Kate with anyone else? Her father-in-law, maybe?”
Elvis ruminated for a moment, obviously trying to decide if it mattered if he answered a couple of questions. Finally, he shook his head.
“While you were watching her up in Billington, did you see the creep buy an old bum’s clothes right off his back?”
“He gave the old guy new clothes in exchange. And a few bottles of liquid refreshment.”
“Did you see this same guy come back later and kill the bum?”
“I kept my eyes on the girl, not the creep. You had the girl, ergo—”
“Then did you follow me through Billington?”
“Just over to your aunt’s place and then when you left with the girl. Cute little car switch you pulled, by the way.”
“It obviously didn’t work,” Mac said dryly.
“No, but it wasn’t your fault. Your aunt drives like an old lady. It took the other couple so long to merge into traffic while sitting under a street lamp that they might as well have taken out an advertisement.” He pointed at his own bald head and added, “They both have white hair.”
“When—”
“Nope. That’s it,” Elvis said, making his way slowly to the door, his gun trained on Mac’s head. “Sit right there a sec, okay? And do us all a favor. Keep the little lady safe, keep her where we can find her. We’d hate to see anything happen to her before she has a chance to do the honorable thing by B.O. I, personally, hate making threats, but B.O. mentioned getting to her through her kids, so urge her to cooperate, will you?” With a nod and a wink like some kind of pip-squeak Santa Claus, he opened the door and slipped away.
Mac sat for a moment, digesting everything he’d just heard, and then picked up the phone and left a message for Officer Dryer. He’d no sooner replaced the receiver than it rang.
He snapped it up. “Yes?”
“It’s me, Nellie,” Kate’s housekeeper said, her voice trembling.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ms. Katrina has gone over to the Priestly house. I begged her to wait for you, but she was up all night, pacing, and this morning she just left. What should I do?”
“I’m leaving right now,” Mac said, slamming down the receiver. He hung a Do Not Disturb sign on his door before locking it behind him.
Chapter Twelve
Kate twisted the doorknob of the Priestly estate, almost fainting with relief when it turned silently in her hand and the door glided open. Hope surged in her chest. She’d reclaim her children and be gone before anyone knew she’d even been here.
She’d seen them drive past the house a few minutes before. They were people of habit, and Kate knew the first thing Dr. Priestly did upon returning from a trip was to shut himself away in his den to look over the mail that had accumulated during his absence. Her mother-in-law, on the other hand, would retreat to her room to freshen up. Kate figured she had a good half hour.
The boys almost certainly would be left in their suite, probably with Gloria in attendance. Gloria might question Kate’s presence, but she wouldn’t forbid Kate to touch her own children. As much as Kate was determined to get the boys away from this house, she was equally determined to see them, to touch them, to hold them in her arms.
For an instant, she thought of Mac and her resolve almost fled. She’d told him she’d stay put. Though it had crossed her mind to call him when she saw the car drive past, she’d been afraid he would try to talk her out of coming and that would take time she didn’t have.
The house opened into a huge entry, with a sweeping stairway off to the right. Flooded with midmorning light, the whites and greens of paint and plants complemented the hardwood floors and wooden trim. There wasn’t a soul in sight, and Kate moved quickly.
She was halfway up the stairs when Daniel Priestly exited the den at the bottom of the stairs. Kate turned and saw his face the instant he spied her. She saw surprise flicker across his even features. At that moment, she heard a gasp come from above her and turned to find Paula Priestly on the landing above.
Dr. Priestly whispered, “You came back!”
“Yes,” Kate said. On the drive over, she’d decided to play it dumb in the hope the Priestlys would be reasonable if they thought she held no grudge. “Of course I came back,” she replied. “I’m a little unclear on what happened, but I never intended on leaving the twins here for long. You must have realized that.”
Dr. Priestly gave her a shrewd once-over.
Kate’s mother-in-law sighed. “We’ve been so worried about you,” she said in her soft drawl.
Kate said, “Well, um, thank you for filling in for me. I’ll just get the boys and get out of your hair.”
Paula Priestly started down the stairs, but paused when her husband said, “Paula, dear, stay up there, will you? Stay near the children.”
“But Gloria is with them.”
“Please,” he said.
Paula took a step back. Resting a hand on the balustrade, she addressed Kate. Her voice apologetic, she said, “Charlie has been quite sick, dear. I’ve been worried.”
Kate advanced another step. “Then he needs me.”
“What he needs is stability,” Dr. Priestly said sharply. His voice held the old arrogant tone that set Kate’s teeth on edge.
Paula Priestly said, “Come on up here, dear,
and see the children.”
Kate felt tears of relief spring to her eyes and started up the stairs only to hear Dr. Priestly snap. “Absolutely not! Paula, use your head. Kate, I’m warning you, stay right where you are.”
Paula waved Kate back. “I guess Dr. Priestly is right,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
Kate appealed to her mother-in-law as the friends they’d been close to becoming. “I have to see Harry and Charlie,” she said. “Surely you understand.”
Paula’s expression was difficult to decipher, and Kate puzzled on it for a moment while Dr. Priestly said, “Judge Linstad has granted us temporary custody.” There was a menacing tone to his voice that tripled Kate’s heart rate.
The door swung open and everyone turned as Mac appeared. He was unshaven and crumpled but so damn handsome, so big and real, that Kate felt her breath catch. She’d never in her life been so glad to see anyone. She imagined at least some of the fire in his eyes was directed at her for coming here without telling him, but that was okay, too. He said, “The door was open, so I—Kate, are you all right?”
“I was just going to get my kids,” she said.
Mac looked from her face to Daniel Priestly.
The doctor said, “You must be Mr. MacBeth. Gloria told us you’d come looking for Kate last night. I gather she was missing…again?”
“My mistake,” Mac said. “Tempest in a teapot.”
“I see. Are you a friend of Kate’s from the old days?”
“No,” Mac said. “I’m her friend from when someone dumped her in an alley in Billington, Indiana, and left her there to almost freeze to death. Would you happen to know anything about that, sir?”
Kate felt a smile tug on the corners of her mouth. In that second, she realized she loved Travis MacBeth, warts and all. She said, “Mac—”
But Dr. Priestly upped the ante. “I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice appalled. He added, “Paula and I have no desire to make things any harder on Kate or our grandchildren.”
“I see,” Mac said.
“However, Kate, you have to understand that you can’t just barge in here whenever you want.”
“He says the judge issued them a temporary custody order,” Kate said, hating the catch she heard in her voice.
Mac said, “May we see it?”
The doctor smiled. “Of course. I’ll get it. It’s in my den.”
As he moved off toward the den, Charlie and Harry burst onto the landing above and shouted, “Mommy!” in unison.
Kate’s heart just about leapt out of her chest at the sight of them. In a flash, she scrambled past Paula and fell to her knees at the top of the stairs, her heart almost bursting as her two perfect babies tumbled into her arms. She kissed them frantically, hugging their sweet-smelling bodies, gazing at their faces and laughing with the pure joy of seeing them.
Charlie looked rosy and healthy, and some of the worry about his health dissipated. Harry was trying to explain something about a boat or a goat, but neither child was a great talker yet and when they were excited, their speech became even harder to decipher. She sat down as they crawled onto her lap and touched her face with plump fingers.
This was happiness.
“You see, they’re just fine,” Paula said as Gloria hustled through the door of the twins’ suite, slowing down only when she saw the babies cuddled against Kate. Her arms were full of their toys.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Priestly. I just turned my back for a second, and they were gone. They must have heard their mother’s voice—”
“Never mind, Gloria. After you get the children down for their nap, I’d appreciate it if you’d have Eduardo drive you to the store,” Paula said. “I made a list. It’s in my room.”
“Of course,” Gloria said.
Looking right at Kate, Paula Priestly added, “It’s time for their nap, Kate. Let Gloria settle them while we finish talking. Go on, boys, go with Gloria.”
“Come along, nenes,” Gloria said.
“They’re fine right here,” Kate said, but even as she spoke, the boys scurried after Gloria, chattering and giggling, completely unaware of the tension permeating their mother.
Dr. Priestly strode back into the entry. “Judge Linstad signed this a few days ago,” he said softly, holding a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Mac who examined it.
“Honestly, what were we supposed to do?” the doctor continued. “Charlie was wheezing, he needed medical help. We did what any concerned grandparents would do. Simon agreed what’s important are the children, so he signed this temporary order. Kate will have her chance to speak in court.”
Simon? Her father-in-law referred to the judge by his first name? Disheartened, Kate’s gaze went from him to her mother-in-law.
“What in the world did he tell you to explain what he did to me, Paula?” Kate said calmly. “Why are you protecting him? Don’t you recall screaming when he attacked me?”
Paula shook her head. “Oh, my. Daniel is right. You have gone out of your mind.”
“No,” Mac said. “No, she hasn’t gone out of her mind. These things did happen. I saw the results.”
Kate cast him a thankful glance.
Dr. Priestly looked pained to have to explain things to Mac. “There’s another account of events, you know, one that isn’t quite so preposterous. You may not know that Kate has a rather…colorful…past,” he began, his voice dripping with distaste. “My son confided this to his mother and me. He warned us that some rather unsavory characters might show up someday. Apparently that’s exactly what happened. After Kate left our house that day, she must have met up with someone from her past. We have a great deal of…sympathy…for this young woman’s plight, but sympathy can only extend so far.”
“How about the argument you had with her on the day she left?” Mac said, handing the court order back to the doctor.
Kate started to protest, but a swift look from Mac kept her silent.
“What does Kate say?” Dr. Priestly asked.
“She can’t remember a thing that happened here after learning that you hadn’t yet left for Orlando.”
“I was just so sad that day,” Paula said. “About Danny, of course. About my dear boy.” Tears filled the older woman’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Kate got to her feet and despite everything, felt a wave of sympathy as one woman to another, one mother to another.
Dr. Priestly cleared his throat. “I had a last-minute phone call from the hospital that morning, so I didn’t leave for the conference as planned. I heard my wife crying and came out to see what the problem was.”
“And what did you do?” Mac demanded.
The doctor looked at Kate with something approaching loathing, or so it seemed to Kate. Then he looked at his wife as though reluctant to get into this matter in front of her. He shook his head. “I was worried Paula would make herself sick, so I came in here to ask Kate to leave. When Kate saw me, she demanded money. She said she intended to start some nasty rumors about Danny if I didn’t pay her off. She was tired of waiting for probate to clear. She wanted freedom. It was all very…upsetting, but I don’t like to be threatened, so I stood my ground. She left in a huff. Left the kids, just like that. Paula eventually calmed down and I went on to the conference to fulfill my obligations. Since then, we’ve done the best we can.”
Kate glanced at Mac, anticipating the scathing remarks he’d make on her behalf.
He said, “It’s all very complicated, isn’t it? Kate’s memory is…fuzzy. I guess she could have gotten parts of this wrong.”
“Mac!”
“Let’s leave now, Kate.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“The court order is solid,” Mac said firmly.
“I don’t care if it’s chiseled in rock.”
“If Dr. Priestly presses trespassing charges against you, Kate, things will go from bad to worse.”
“But he—”
“He’s trying to
help you, aren’t you, Dr. Priestly?”
Dr. Priestly nodded at Kate, his eyes full of benevolence. “I truly am, Katrina. Leave now.”
“Trust me,” Mac said, holding out a hand.
Kate stared at him. As disgusted with Daniel Priestly as she was, he had presented no big surprises. He’d been arrogant with her, reasonable with Mac. Same old, same old. And, given the present climate in this house, trying to remove Charlie and Harry would result in a fight that would scare the daylights out of them. They were safe here for the moment.
But Mac! He’d fallen for Dr. Priestly’s charm. He’d sold her out.
She walked down the stairs with a wooden smile on her face. She couldn’t feel her feet. Heartsick, she walked past Mac’s extended hand and out through the door.
MAC FOLLOWED the big SUV back to Kate’s house. He parked behind Nellie’s old red car and had to run to catch up with Kate before she entered the house. Once she’d done that, he knew, he’d be lucky if he ever saw her again.
“Listen,” he demanded, grabbing her arm. She turned to face him. The tears running down her cheeks didn’t mitigate the fury blazing in her eyes.
“Let go of me,” she said.
“Not until you listen. You know how you’re always telling me we should trap the bad guy?” As he hoped, the question intrigued her enough to keep her from pulling away. “That’s what we just did,” he added. “We trapped the bad guy.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We trapped the man who started all of this, your father-in-law. That’s why I asked him about the fight.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t understand—”
“You remember going to your in-laws’ house. You remember Paula coming apart, then your father-in-law showing up. After that, it’s all a blur except for some faint memory of her screaming and him leaning over you. Is that right?”
“With a needle.”
“Yes, with a needle. You don’t recall asking him for money.”