“Sure.” Actually she was relieved to see him go, she thought after the door had closed behind him. Granger Deene made her nervous, and yet part of her refused to accept the fact that he could be a criminal or a madman on the run.
There had to be some other explanation for his odd behavior, and she was going to find out what it was if it killed her. Unnerved by that last thought, she did her best to put him out of her mind for the rest of that long day.
It wasn’t easy. Granger finished the painting within an hour, and Corie had to leave her own work to show him the wallpaper she wanted him to hang.
“Have you ever hung wallpaper before?” she asked him, while he studied the wall.
“I think so,” he said. “I mean of course I have, I just don’t remember what kind it was.”
“Well this is the self-adhesive kind,” Corie said unrolling a portion of the paper to show him. “You just fill this trough with warm water, cut the length of paper you need, roll it inside out, then soak it in the water for a couple of minutes.”
Granger looked as if he wasn’t sure that he’d heard her right. “Then it’s ready to stick on the wall?”
“Right. Just start at the top of the wall and smooth it all the way down with this brush.” She pointed at the little wooden roller lying on the stool. “When you’ve got two pieces up next to each other, run that roller down the seams to butt the edges, okay?”
“To butt the edges. Right.”
“Don’t forget to match the pattern, and leave enough overlap at the top and bottom to trim the edges. The razor’s there on the stool.”
Granger was looking more confused by the minute but nodded his head. “I have it.”
“Good. You do know how to cut out the spaces for the switch plates?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“I’ve taken the plates off the wall already,” Corie said a little desperately. “After the paper’s hung, just cut little crosses where the switches stick out behind it, peel the corners back, then cut out the rectangle just big enough for the switch to poke through. The raw edges will be covered by the plate when you screw it back on.”
“I see,” said Granger, looking dazed.
“Right.” Corie hesitated, then decided she didn’t want to wait around to see what he made of all that. “Call me if you run into trouble, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She escaped before he saw her look of panic. What the hell had she been thinking of, hiring someone to help her redecorate her house when he didn’t even know the first thing about hanging wallpaper? She must have finally lost her marbles.
Corie figured she wouldn’t get much work out of him, but he had done a good job of the painting, from what she could see. However, she would probably end up repapering the darn room herself, she thought, as she marched back down the stairs to finish stripping the wall in the bedroom next to hers.
By the time the job was done it was almost time to start preparing dinner. She’d planned a quick meal of grilled salmon and salad, and a light dessert of fresh strawberries and cream.
After taking a quick shower, she pulled on a pair of tan slacks and a cream cotton sweater. The rain had stopped outside, but clouds still chased across the sky, promising another downpour before long.
Granger had changed into a pair of dark blue pants and a pale blue shirt. To Corie’s surprise and pleasure, he waited for her to approach the table with the dinner plates, then pulled her chair out for her to be seated.
He made her wish she’d lit candles and served dinner in front of the fireplace in the dining room. If nothing else, Granger Deene obviously had good manners.
Seated opposite him at the small table in the kitchen, Corie wondered what he thought about her somewhat provincial lifestyle and surroundings. Not that it mattered to her one way or another. Tonight she would be the one to ask questions, and she wasn’t about to let him avoid the answers any longer.
She waited until he had finished the salmon and had served him the fruit and cream before saying casually, “You never did tell me about your accident. You said it was a car wreck. I imagine it must have been pretty bad since you ended up in the hospital.”
He sent her one of his enigmatic looks, then stared down at the half of a strawberry on his spoon as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to eat it.
“I didn’t say it was a car wreck. I think I said that my car was in Philadelphia at the time.”
Corie’s stomach did its little nervous dance again. “Oh, I see. Sorry, my mistake. I was just wondering how badly you were hurt and if you were in the hospital for a long time. I hate hospitals myself. I won’t go near one unless I’m forced into it. I had my appendix out once and I’ve never forgotten how it felt, lying in that bed, staring up at the ceiling and feeling as if everyone in the world had deserted me.”
There she went, running off at the mouth again, she thought ruefully. She was supposed to be asking the questions, for God’s sake, not supplying the answers.
“I know the feeling.”
He spoke with such vehemence she was startled for a moment.
“I’m sorry,” she said at last. “It must be painful for you to remember.”
Once more his eyes regarded her with the same deep, intense look he was so fond of using on her. She could feel a pulse throbbing in her forehead as the silence seemed to go on and on.
An engine suddenly exploded into life in the street outside, and Granger shifted in his chair. “That’s just the point,” he said at last. “I don’t remember.”
Frowning, Corie stared at him. “Pardon me?”
“I don’t remember the accident. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember anything that happened before that, either.”
For a moment she forgot the sharp concentration in his light gray eyes. Shock rippled through her, leaving goose bumps shivering up and down her arms.
“But that’s awful! What did the doctors tell you had happened?”
His gaze seemed to burn even deeper into her soul as he said quietly, “They couldn’t tell me anything. Apparently they found me wandering along a road somewhere, with no identification and no memory of what had happened to me. Apparently I had been robbed.”
So many things were falling into place. He had no friends, no family. He “thought” he’d been born in Philadelphia. His odd reactions to her comments, as if he didn’t have a clue as to what she was talking about.
“I am so sorry.” Forgetting all her doubts, she reached across the table and laid her hand over his. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. And then to have all your personal possessions stolen on top of all that. Do you remember anything at all?”
He sat staring at her hand, his bleak expression hardening his harsh features. Then he said quietly, “I remember nothing of my past life. While some things seem familiar, others seem strange, incomprehensible.”
He looked up, and the anguish in his eyes touched her heart. “The instrument you used this afternoon, for instance. You spoke to someone through it. To all intents and purposes, I’ve never seen such a thing before.”
“The telephone?” She looked at him in amazement. “You didn’t have one in your hospital room?”
“I had nothing in my hospital room, except a bed and a small table with a jug of water on it.”
His blunt tone made her jump and she quickly withdrew her hand. He went on looking at his own as if he missed her touch.
What kind of hospital had he been in? she wondered. “Perhaps they didn’t want to confuse you.”
He looked up then, his eyes narrow silver slits. “I have no idea what they thought. I do know they avoided answering my questions.”
“I’m sure they had your best interests at heart. I know it doesn’t always seem that way. Especially if you are the one lying in that bed.”
“Precisely.”
Corie shifted nervously in her chair. With his eyes narrowed like that, and the fierce set of his mouth, once more he looked more than a little dangerous
.
His loss of memory could explain some of the incidents that had confused her since she’d first helped him to his feet two days ago. But nothing as yet could explain that look of grim vengeance in his eyes, or the way his fist had clenched when he’d talked about the doctors. At times he even looked at her as if she was to blame for what had happened to him.
Something was wrong here. Very wrong. And Corie wasn’t at all sure she wanted to know what it was.
Chapter 4
The day passed slowly as Corie tried to concentrate on her work. Questions bombarded her mind, no matter how hard she tried to forget Granger Deene and his odd behavior.
She felt sorry about his loss of memory, of course. But she couldn’t escape the feeling that he wasn’t telling her everything.
By that night the tension was beginning to affect Corie’s nerves. She’d had a grueling day at the lab, and wasn’t in the mood to answer Granger’s constant questions about her work.
After he’d repeated a question twice during dinner, she finally lost her temper and snapped at him. “I’ve told you just about everything I do there. Why is it you can ask questions all night long, but you won’t answer any of mine?”
He seemed to go very still. “What is it exactly that you want to know?”
“Whatever it is you’re not telling me.”
He was silent so long she got nervous. Now that she’d begun the conversation, she was starting to regret having said anything. She could feel the cold bite of Granger’s gaze right down to the bone.
“Perhaps it is time we put our cards on the table,” he said, pushing his half-eaten dessert away from him.
Corie curled her fingers around the handle of her fork, and did her best to relax the tremors chasing down her spine. Meeting Granger’s chilling gaze, she said evenly, “What about?”
“About how and why I am here.”
Once more he looked at her as if she were to blame for his troubles. Maybe she’d been right about him being dangerous, after all. She’d been fool enough to be taken in by a good-looking face and a few smooth lines, and now she was about to pay the price. Well, not without a fight, she wasn’t. No one was going to get the better of her without a darn good struggle.
She made a move to stand up, but Granger snaked a hand across the table and grasped her wrist. “Not quite so fast, Mrs. Trenton. I have a few questions I want answered.”
Dismayed at the formality, she tugged at her wrist. “I have a few of my own,” she said evenly.
Her challenging stare appeared to have no effect whatsoever. Instead, Granger seemed to have become even more determined. “So I’ve noticed. You seem unusually interested in my past.”
“No more than anyone would when hiring someone to work for them.”
“I think, perhaps, it’s a little late for that.”
Corie felt a tremor of fear. Lifting her chin, she demanded, “What more do you want from me? I gave you a bed and fed you because I felt sorry for you.” She gave her wrist another tug, but he held her fast. “Is this the thanks I get for trying to help someone I thought was in need?” she added, as her temper began to rise.
“I kept my part of the bargain. I finished the painting and hung the wallpaper in two of your rooms. That should repay you for the food and lodging.”
“You are hurting my wrist,” Corie said pointedly.
“I’m sorry. I really don’t want to hurt you. If you drop the fork, I’ll let go.”
She hadn’t realized she was still gripping the fork. Widening her eyes, she said in disbelief, “You thought I was going to attack you?”
“The thought had crossed my mind.”
Opening her fingers, she let the fork fall.
Immediately he let go of her wrist. “I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he said, sounding sincere. “It appears to be becoming a habit. I have no wish to do that. All I want is a few answers to my questions.”
Rubbing her wrist, Corie said a little defensively, “What kind of questions?”
He leaned back in his chair, eyeing her warily. “About your work, for the most part.”
She stared at him in amazement. “My work? But I’ve told you about that.”
“No, you told me what you did. I’m interested in the company you work for.”
“I told you that, too. I work in a science lab about ten blocks from here.”
“Describe the building to me.”
She was beginning to relax a little now that he no longer held her in his firm fingers. Although he wasn’t making much sense, as long as he meant her no harm, she would answer anything he asked.
“It’s a small white building on the corner of the street. Double glass doors on the entrance, no outside windows. The rooms aren’t very big, mostly offices and a couple of labs. There are only a dozen people who work there.”
She frowned in concentration. “That’s about all I can tell you. The building has no signs outside. It’s actually a unit of the main laboratory in Philadelphia. That’s where all the big stuff goes on. We are more a record-keeping section, though we do have some scientists working there. They are pretty weird creatures, and most of the work is strictly hush-hush.”
She sat up straighter as a thought struck her. “You’re not a spy, are you? If so, you’re asking the wrong person. I just deal with figures and calculations. I have no idea what they do with them.”
“I’m not a spy.” He sat looking at her, a brooding expression on his face. One hand tapped nervously on the edge of the table. After a long pause, during which Corie felt sure she would suffocate from holding her breath too long, Granger said abruptly, “I need your help.”
Corie puffed out her breath. “I thought I was helping you.”
“No.” With a sudden movement that made her jump, he pushed his chair back. “I need some real help. I’m going to tell you something that you might not believe at first. I can only ask you to bear with me until I’m through.”
Corie ran the tip of her tongue over her dry lips. “All right.”
He leaned back in the chair and matched the tips of his fingers together to make a tent. Focusing his gaze on them, he said quietly, “I told you I was in a hospital. That isn’t entirely true. I only thought it was a hospital. Apparently I was mistaken.”
Her heart gave a little skip. “Not a hospital?” For God’s sake, had she been right about the mental home, after all?
“No. My hospital room was actually a room in the building where you work.”
She could feel her jaw drop. Now he had to be talking nonsense. “I don’t understand,” she said, wishing he wouldn’t keep talking in riddles.
“Neither do I. Which is why I need your help. All I know is that I woke up there several days ago, without any knowledge of how I got there, and with no memory of who I am or where I came from.”
“So, your name isn’t really Granger Deene?”
He passed a hand across his eyes as if he were incredibly tired. “Yes, my name is Granger Deene. They gave me the name of John Smith, but I remembered my real name. It’s the only thing I can remember clearly.”
Corie frowned, trying to make sense of it all. “You keep saying ‘they.’ Who are they? Doctors?”
“I don’t know. They were careful not to give me any of their names. All I know is that someone jabbed a needle in my arm every now and again, and I went to sleep. When I awoke my head was fuzzy and I had trouble remembering my name again.”
“They didn’t tell you anything? They must know how you got there.”
“All they told me was what I’ve told you. They wouldn’t answer any of my questions after that. They kept telling me I’d remember everything once I’d recovered my memory.”
Corie shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t understand. There are no hospital rooms in the lab as far as I know. I can’t imagine why you would be there. Are you certain it was the same building?”
Granger slowly nodded his head. “I’m certain. I followed you home from there.”
Once more her breath seemed to freeze in her throat. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m sorry. I know this must come as a shock to you. When I saw you by the front doors, talking to someone, you mentioned that you lived alone. I needed somewhere to stay until I could find out what had happened to me, and I needed answers. You seemed like the right person to ask.”
She finally found her voice. “You followed me home?”
“Yes. I waited until you’d gone inside the house. I intended to knock on your door and ask for a room. But then I blacked out, and when I woke up, there you were.”
There she was, all right, Corie thought grimly. In the wrong place at the wrong time, as usual. “What would you have done if I’d told you to get lost?”
“Then,” Granger said quietly, “I’m afraid I would have had to persuade you to help me.”
His words sent a tiny shiver down her back. “How? By seducing me?”
The second the words were out of her mouth she wished them back. Heaven knew what had made her say them. She’d intended to make light of the situation, not get herself in deeper.
Granger’s face changed, and for a moment she thought he was going to smile. “It’s a pleasant thought,” he said softly, “but I was thinking of a more subtle persuasion.”
“Oh.” More embarrassed than ever, she said quickly, “I can’t tell you much more than you know already. I can’t imagine why you were brought to the lab instead of a hospital, and I have no idea why they kept you there, unless it was dangerous to move you—”
She broke off when she saw Granger’s grim expression. “Precisely. I want you to find out why I was being kept prisoner in your building.”
“Prisoner?” Her heart began thumping again, as Granger nodded.
“I was very definitely a prisoner. Every time I tried to open the door of that room, someone would stick the needle in my arm again and I’d black out.”
“If they kept you a prisoner,” Corie said carefully, “why did they let you go?”
Granger waited a long moment before answering. “They didn’t.”
So Little Time Page 6