Derry followed. She pointed out her new bedroom furniture. He helped her move a few items, then she led the way to the kitchen.
“They even brought me dishes, and stuff to cook with. Now I need to go shopping and get some food.” Sara opened a cupboard to show Derry her cache. She was acting like a kid at Christmas.
“Tell you what. Let me take you out for dinner, and we can stop by the grocery store on the way home.”
“Can you give me thirty minutes to get ready? I feel all sweaty after helping them unpack boxes and all.”
“Sure, I need to run into the house anyway. See you in thirty.”
Half an hour later, he headed back out to the guesthouse. He was looking forward to this first date with Sara.
The guesthouse door opened as he approached. “I heard you coming. So, where are you taking me?”
Derry cleared his throat, amazed. “You look nice.”
“Natalie picked up a few things for me.”
“That dress fits you nicely.” Too nicely; it showed off her slim figure to the finest detail.
“So, how about if you let me buy dinner? I owe it to you, for all you and your friends have done for me.”
Raising his gaze to meet her eyes, he felt his face warm with embarrassment. He’d been caught studying her. A bashful smile rested on her lips. He became lost in it.
“Yeah, sure, I guess.” He wasn’t really paying attention to his words.
“How does Italian sound? It’s a lot better than Greek.” She headed toward the passenger side of the car.
Did he just agree to let her buy dinner? “Okay. Do you have a place in mind?” Derry asked as he opened the door for Sara.
“Not really. Do you know of some place close by?”
“The Old Spaghetti Factory. It’s not far.”
“Sounds good.” She slid in, and looked up at him with a smile as he pushed the door shut.
***
Although the conversation had been light on the way to the restaurant, after they ordered Sara became somber. “Will you answer a question for me?”
“Sure, if I can.” Derry tried to match her mood.
“What’s your game? What are you and your friends up to? Giving me new furniture and all. Stuff worth a lot of money. Why? What are you after?” Her voice and her question carried a hard skepticism.
“That’s more than one question.” How could he answer them all to any satisfaction?
Sara picked up her fork and rubbed the tines with her thumb. “Okay, I’ll start with the easy one. Why all the furniture? Those people don’t know me, and some of that stuff is nicer than what you have.”
“You needed help, and they wanted to help you.”
“Giving the stuff away made them feel good,” Sara interjected.
“Yes, but it’s more than that. We are supposed to help those in need.”
“We? So I’m your church’s charity case? I guess Christians need charity cases to feel good about themselves. It hides their own shortcomings.” Anger tinged her words. “I have money. I don’t need people’s hand-me-downs. And I’m not here to help them feel good about themselves.”
His answer was more defensive than he meant it to be. “No, that’s not it. They like to help others because it’s the right thing to do. It has nothing to do with any shortcomings. In fact, Bob owns the furniture store where your couch and bed came from. He actually has a fair amount of money. Norm, on the other hand, works at Walmart. He barely makes enough to get by. Both of them came to help you because that’s what they like to do. Jesus tells us to help one another.”
Sara’s attention focused on her fork as she reflected for several seconds. “Okay, I’ll let your answers stand for now. I’m not saying I believe it, but you obviously do.”
He was disappointed. “No, I’d rather you not just accept it for now. Why don’t you believe that people would help you because they want to?”
“I have another question that’s bothering me more. Did you save me for the same reason? Just because I needed help?” She laid the fork down next to the knife.
“Yes.”
She grasped the knife. Looking up, she gazed straight into his eyes. “Why were you on that dirt road?”
“Long story.”
Sara glanced around. “We have time.”
“After the men grabbed you in the tent at the festival, I followed them.”
“Why didn’t you help me get away from them? You could have saved me from their beating.”
Why didn’t he? That question had gone through his head a thousand times. “I tried once. I got hit in the stomach for it.”
She dropped her gaze. “One hit to the stomach, huh? Go on.” Dissatisfaction permeated her tone.
If he could go back and relive that day—but he’d said that before. His hands were sweaty; he wanted to wipe them. “Anyway, they took you out to a car and sped up the hill. I ran to my car and hoped to catch up. But I lost you.”
“Then how’d you end up on the dirt road? How’d you find me?”
He dropped his gaze. “I was speeding, still hoping to catch up, when I got pulled over. The cop thought I might be high. He gave me a sobriety test and a ticket. He kept me busy for over twenty-five minutes.”
“Why didn’t you tell the cop about me? That you were trying to save my life?”
Derry looked up to see her stare boring into him. Before he could say more, the food came. He wiped his hand on his pants as he waited for the server to leave.
Sara was still hurting emotionally, and understandably so. An attack like that was something most people never got over. “At that time, I didn’t know how much danger you were in. You seemed to go with them somewhat willingly.”
“You think I wanted to go with them? That I—” Sara held up her knife, and gave it a slight wave. “So, if you were so blind to the truth, why’d you come after me?”
“Something told me you needed help. But what could I tell the cop? ‘Hey, I saw this girl get into this really nice black limo, and I think she’s in trouble.’ He’d have hauled me in for drug testing.”
“Okay. So, you gave up without trying. Go on. You still haven’t said why you were on that dirt road.”
Derry looked back down. Her words hurt, but maybe she was right. He could have tried harder. “After the cop let me go, I figured it was too late. You were gone, and I’d probably never see you again.”
“So you gave up?” She dropped the knife, and covered her mouth with the cloth napkin, her eyes filling with tears.
“Kind of. Yes.” He lost his appetite, but he still took a bite here and there to give himself time to think. In his mind, the restaurant became empty as the walls around him went out of focus. The only things his mind saw clearly were Sara and that day.
“And?” She dabbed her eyes with the napkin before dropping it in her lap. Squaring her shoulders, she picked up her fork.
“And I needed to think. I didn’t know where you were, or how to find you. So I pulled off the main road at the first place I saw. I got out of my car. I needed to walk around to clear my head, and plan what to do next. Then I heard a noise above me. The next thing I saw was you, sliding down the hill toward me.”
“So you were there just to think? It was a total accident?”
“Yes and no. I believe God put me there to help you.” He reached for her hand. She moved it to pick up some bread.
“So you didn’t know I’d be there?”
“No. I was thinking about you, looking for you, but I had no idea where you were.”
Sara took a nibble of bread as she peered into his eyes. Her focus went deep into his inner parts. She was searching for something.
“Did you know those men had guns, and would try to kill you?”
“N
o, but—”
“Would you have risked your life if you knew that?” She dropped the pieces of bread on the table as she tore them off.
“The guns didn’t matter.” Was he on trial here? Why was she asking these questions?
“Do you think you’re invincible or something?”
“No it’s not that at all.” How could he explain this to her? “I know all too well what guns can do.”
Sara’s tone showed disbelief. “Yeah, I’m sure you do. Seen it all on TV.”
Derry laid his fork down, and pushed his plate toward the center of the table a few inches. “I know first-hand.” He looked deep into her eyes. “Several years ago, my girlfriend was shot in the head. She died in my arms.”
Sara’s jaw hung open. Her gaze glued to his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean— I never would have said that if I knew.”
Chapter 36
Mike stepped into Levy’s office.
“What do you have?” Levy glanced up from his desk. This whole Sara problem had taken up too much of his valuable time, and he was falling behind in his work. The last thing he wanted right now was a useless interruption, but Sara had to be found.
Mike strolled to the center of the room, squarely in front of Levy’s desk. “Yes, sir. With Kai’s help, I’ve narrowed it down to three possibles.”
“Good. Who are they?” Levy trusted Mike more than any of his men. Which was to say, he trusted Mike as long as he knew exactly what he was doing at all times.
“First we ran background checks on each of the men Kai had identified, looking at where they’ve lived, gone to school, what they bought using their credit cards, hotels they’ve stayed in—”
“I don’t have all day. Get to the point.”
“One name came to the top. George Parks. He and Sara went to school together.”
“Good. What else do we know about him?” Levy rose.
“He lives in Boulder. Taking Highway Seven from Estes Park makes sense.”
“Good, what about the other two?”
“Our second possible, a Josiah Radcliff, was at the Scottish Highlands festival. He bought two tickets online. He lives in south Denver, by Chatfield Reservoir. Google Maps shows his house to be somewhat isolated. He’ll be harder to observe without being seen.”
“What’s his connection to Sara?”
“Another programmer. Works for a small bank headquartered in Denver.”
“And the last name?”
“Derry Conway. Kai tapped into his credit card accounts. He was at Jasper’s a couple of times, on nights Sara was running tests. I called Jasper and asked him if Sara was ever seen having dinner with anyone. He said she always sat alone.” Mike chuckled as he continued. “Jasper added that he couldn’t see anyone wanting to eat dinner with her. He called her a cold fish.”
“Keep Conway at the bottom of the list. Start with this classmate of hers in Boulder.” Levy sat down and leaned back in his chair. Things were looking up, finally.
“Want me to call Jarred and Ben back from New York?”
Mike better be able to handle this simple task. Ben and Jarred were making money for him right now. “No. Wait ‘til we have something more solid. See what Kai can dig up on these three. Their past, their family. Something I can use.”
***
Derry was tired after another long day at work. Another day without the opportunity to find the name of the bank for Lamar. Was he really that busy, or was he just putting off the inevitable? He knew the answer. He didn’t want to find the truth if it meant Sara could go to jail.
He was lying on the couch, dozing off, when he heard a knock on the back door. It was Sara. Rising, he had a mixture of feelings churning in his gut. During their talk the previous night, his meal turned sour. By the end of the evening, few words passed between them. She didn’t believe he would try to save her at the risk of his own life. Maybe he should have told her the whole story about Tami. Would that have made a difference?
Sliding the door open, he gave a half-smile. “Hey.”
Sara, on the other hand, smiled like nothing had happened. “Hungry?”
“I’m sorry. I stopped for something on the way home.” Had she cooked dinner for him in an attempt to patch things up?
“Good, come with me. That is, if you’re not too busy sleeping on the couch.” Her gaze shifted to the couch behind him.
“Saw that, huh?”
Sara spun around and headed back to the guesthouse without an answer. Derry followed.
Walking across the grass, he sniffed the air. Something smelled good. Like fresh baked cookies. Stepping into Sara’s home, he was assaulted by the fragrance. All his fears and anxieties were overwhelmed, and died at the sight of the small banquet. Sitting on the counter was a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies.
“I’ve been waiting for you to get home. The second tray just came out.” Sara stepped into the kitchen, and started removing the cookies from the baking sheet. Derry stopped next to the counter, close to the plate of cookies, as he observed her.
“Would you mind getting some milk?”
“Sure, do you have some? I thought you didn’t like milk.”
“I picked up some today. You can’t eat chocolate chip cookies without milk. It just wouldn’t be right.” Sara spooned the next batch onto the baking sheet.
Her slim form caught his attention again. The more he was around her, the less he believed she could possibly be a crook.
“Well?” She glanced over her shoulder, catching him staring at her. She paused with a smile before returning to her task. Was everything back to normal between them? Whatever normal was.
He stepped toward the refrigerator. Opening it, he found it almost empty. “I still need to take you shopping for food, don’t I?”
“I have enough for now. Milk?”
“Oh yeah.” He grabbed the carton of milk and then got two glasses out of the cupboard. Setting them on the table, he filled them. Sara joined him with the plate of cookies and set it between them.
Derry caught himself looking at her as she bit into a warm cookie. She looked so natural, like she belonged here, with him.
“Natalie asked me to come to church on Sunday. I said yes.”
It took a moment for her comment to register. “I gathered from our conversation last night that you didn’t believe in all that stuff?”
“I don’t, but I think I should at least thank the people who gave me the furniture, no matter what their reasons.”
“Even if their reason is that they just wanted to help?”
“Hey, if that makes them feel good, I’m okay with that.”
Derry saw the conversation heading down the same path as last night. He needed to change the subject. “These cookies are really good. Who taught you to be such a good cook?”
“It’s not hard. All you have to do is be able to read and follow directions.” Sara smiled. He caught the drift.
“So, are you saying I can’t read, or I can’t follow directions?”
Sara took a sip of milk then smiled at him over the rim.
An hour and half and way too many cookies later, Derry said goodnight and headed back to his house. His heart rode high as he made his way back across the yard. His only thoughts were of Sara and spending time with her. Stopping, he glanced up at the moon. Sara was wrapping her tentacles around his heart, and he wasn’t sure he wanted her to stop.
***
Turning the lights off after Derry left, Sara stood next to the window. He walked with his hands in his pockets. He was taking his time, stopping once and looking up at the night sky. He had a nice gait, full of confidence. If only she could stay here, close to him. If only her past had stayed hidden. If only Levy—
Turning away from the window, she knew a
man like Derry could never really care for her. Three days, and she’d be gone. If she couldn’t have love, money would have to suffice.
Chapter 37
Church was a mixed experience for Derry. He watched Sara put up a good front as she talked with several members of the congregation after the service. He was happily surprised to learn she knew parts of the Bible, but also disappointed. It was clear that she’d read the Bible, and rejected it.
Heading across his backyard toward the guesthouse, he wondered what other surprises this day might hold for him. A chilly wind blew at his back. Summer was quickly giving way to fall. Glancing at the tree in the backyard, he thought the leaves were changing color a little too early.
Stepping up to the guesthouse door, he tapped.
It took Sara several minutes to answer. “Ready?”
“Sure.” Stepping out, she closed the door behind her. The two walked in silence over to Kevin’s and Natalie’s home.
After Derry knocked on the Knights’ door, he shifted his gaze to Sara while keeping his head pointed at the door. She was very somber.
When the door opened, she gave Kevin a cheerful grin.
“Come on in. You’re right on time.” He glanced at Derry. “I hope the walk wasn’t too long.”
“Not if I get fed soon.” Derry allowed Sara to step in ahead of him.
She sniffed the air. “Mmm, that smells good.”
“Homemade bread rolls. I can never get enough.” Kevin closed the door behind them.
“Think Natalie needs any help?” Sara moved toward the kitchen.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”
After she left the room, Derry turned to Kevin. “Sara said you had some news to share?”
“We sure do.” Kevin spun around, and headed toward the dining room table.
Derry followed. Sara and Natalie brought food from the kitchen.
Natalie set down a bowl of mashed potatoes. “I heard you got a special treat the other day.”
Derry glanced at Sara. She was watching him. “Oh, yeah. I sure did, homemade chocolate chip cookies. They were delicious.”
Fatal Transaction (Thriller & Suspense, Cyber Crime) Page 19