Diane quickly took the phone from her ear. “What is it?” Liz asked from beside her.
“She wants to meet at her place tomorrow,” Diane said.
“No,” Rick said, adamant. “It’s too risky. You’re the one that needs to set up the terms of a meeting.”
“I intended to but she hung up before I could say anything. She’s not answering,” Diane said, becoming frustrated as she tried to call again.
Rick stood up from his place and began pacing. “We’ll wait. I don’t like her choice of meeting places and I don’t like her choice of privacy. We’ve got to keep you safe. That’s our first priority.”
Diane was about to say something but she remained silent. She wanted more than ever to get out of this mess but she appreciated Rick’s concern about her welfare. She would heed his determination to remain cautious.
Chapter Seven
Diane paced the living room of Liz’s home, glancing again through the blinds to see if Liz had arrived. It was past ten at night and she hadn’t heard from either Liz or Rick all day despite her unceasing calls and texts. This evening had been the time she was supposed to meet with Mrs. Mills and Diane had not yet cancelled. Even more troubling, Rick still had not given her any information on how to move forward. She didn’t know what he expected her to do. As the minutes dragged on, her anxiety began to turn to desperation. Why didn’t Rick return her messages? Didn’t he realize how much she needed to hear from him? She had been dealing with restless anxiety all day, scarcely able to eat and scarcely able to concentrate on anything else.
Diane heard the garage door open and dropped her shoulders in relief. Though fatigue outlined Liz’s dark eyes when she entered, Diane addressed her immediately. “Have you heard from Rick?”
“Not a word all day,” Liz countered.
“This isn’t like him,” Diane said in frustration as she walked toward her. “What do you think is going on?”
“I don’t know,” Liz said, setting her belongings on the counter. “He wasn’t answering his phone and I haven’t been able to get through to him at the office. As far as I know, he never showed up for work at the R & J today.”
“Never showed up?” Diane repeated in disbelief. “What’s happening?”
“I have no idea,” Liz said.
As if in answer, Liz’s phone abruptly rang, halting their conversation. “It’s Rick,” Liz said as she glanced at the number. She pressed the phone to her ear. “We’ve been waiting to hear from you all day,” she greeted him. “What? No, we haven’t. She’s here with me.” A pause. “Is that the best? I won’t be able to make it. I told Carl I’d finish a story. All right. I’ll let her know. Bye.”
“What is it?” Diane questioned her after she’d hung up.
“He wants you to drop by his home,” Liz said.
“Why?” Diane questioned, puzzled. “That seems odd.”
“There’s been a change in plans and he needs to meet with you to discuss it. His home would be best. He wanted us both to come but I told Carl I’d finish the McMullin story tonight. You’ll have to fill me in.”
“Did Rick tell you anything about what happened today?” Diane asked.
“No. You’d better get over there,” Liz said. “He said it was urgent.”
“All right,” Diane said. “I’ll leave now.”
“Take my car,” Liz said as she handed Diane the keys. “But promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t step one foot outside that vehicle unless you know you’re alone.”
“I promise,” Diane assured her. “I’m feeling every bit as nervous about this as you are, believe me.”
The drive to Rick’s home should have taken about fifteen minutes but that night it seemed to be taking much longer. The traffic in town seemed extra heavy, obviously in preparation for the upcoming weekend, and Diane found herself hitting every light through town. She nervously drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she drove.
When she sat at one red light, she glanced in her rearview mirror and abruptly knit her brows. Strange, she thought, troubled. The man in the dark car in back of her had been behind her for the last three lights. Diane couldn’t quite make out his face because of her dark glasses but he seemed oddly familiar somehow. She anxiously bit her lip. It didn’t mean anything, did it? Were her nerves getting the better of her? She was trying to determine where she’d possibly met the man when the light changed and she pulled forward, purposefully moving at a slower pace than the rest of the traffic. The man still followed closely behind her, despite the others that pulled quickly around to move past her.
Diane glanced again in her rearview mirror as she drove, feeling on edge. Why did he insist on staying nearby? It didn’t mean anything, did it? She didn’t know but instead of continuing toward Rick’s house, as was her intent, she decidedly got in the left lane at the next intersection and slowly, cautiously, made a U-turn. She held her breath as she strained to watch the cars behind her in her rearview mirror. The man in the dark car, after a short break in traffic, made a U-turn and began following her once again.
Fear rose like a thick bubble in the pit of Diane’s stomach and her hands began to tremble where they clenched the wheel. Calm down, she told herself as she tried to quiet the rapid beating of her heart. You have the advantage; you know he’s behind you. Just keep going. Diane slowly accelerated the car and began weaving in and out of traffic, trying to keep as much space as possible between her and the man in the car behind her. A million suppositions ran through her mind as she drove. Who could he possibly be and how would he have known to follow her, here and now, when she was in Liz’s car? Nothing made sense to her and yet Diane knew for certain she was being followed. Had Mrs. Mills somehow traced where she had been staying? Had she somehow followed her home from the office?
As the distance expanded between her and the man in the car, Diane abruptly pushed her foot on the gas and sped forward, turning unexpectedly into a nearby subdivision. Her breathing tightened as she gripped the wheel with both hands, swerving determinedly in front of a few other vehicles without trying to seem overtly conspicuous. Getting the attention of the authorities would certainly be as detrimental as getting caught by the man following her. She didn’t allow herself to dwell on that one terrifying thought as she continued turn after turn, zigzagging through several streets she’d never been on before she dared glance back behind her once more. She let out a shaky breath. No one was within view.
Diane didn’t realize how tight her grip on the wheel had been until she’d relaxed it. She still could not stop her frequent, intermittent glances in the rearview mirror as she kept speeding forward. Several minutes of aimless driving passed before she could convince herself that she was alone. Only then did she begin working her way toward Rick’s home once more, taking the back roads this time. She breathed an audible sigh of relief when she finally made it to the exclusive neighborhood that housed Rick’s expansive rambler. Despite not seeing anyone nearby, she cringed beneath the streetlight where she finally parked the car, wishing she could somehow fade into the blackness of the night.
Rick’s porch lights were off so Diane quickly exited the car and ran toward the front door, knocking frantically as she pressed the illuminated doorbell several times. Her eyes darted about her, seeking for anything suspicious. She didn’t feel at all safe until she could hear Rick unlocking the chain inside. As he opened the door, she pushed quickly past him. “Someone has been following me,” she explained breathlessly, barely able to get the words out as she stumbled past him. “He was following me all through town before I noticed he was there. He even U-turned when I did. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know who it could be out there but I do know for certain someone kept following me tonight.”
Rick’s dark eyes remained on hers as he motioned her into the house. He hadn’t yet changed from work. His tie hung loosely about his neck and his dress shirt had been left un-tucked about his wai
st. Diane followed him into his living room and plopped down, emotionally drained, on his sofa. She began speaking before Rick had taken the seat across from her. “The man looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place him. He has to be someone working with Mrs. Mills. But how would he have known to follow me in Liz’s car?”
Diane suddenly stopped speaking and looked directly at Rick, searching his features intently. He seemed strangely unaffected by her words. His gaze remained steady and even. “What is it?” Diane confronted him. “Do you think I’m overreacting?”
Rick pushed back his hair, stood from where he sat and then walked toward her. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he said as he let out a slow breath. “Mason Trent was the man driving the car behind you. He works for me. I hired him to help me. He’s a private investigator.”
Diane knit her brows, confused. She refocused her eyes on Rick as she tried to register what he’d just said. “He works for you?”
“He’s the man you saw following you tonight. He’s been working for me for quite some time. I hired him right after you supposedly disappeared from town.”
“I don’t understand,” Diane said in disbelief.
“I hired Mason Trent initially to have him help me find you. He was with me that night when I first discovered you working at the R & J. I was giving him information on you and your possible whereabouts. I called him later that night to let him know that you were still in town.”
Diane froze, her heart beating in uncertain rhythm. “He’s been working for you?”
“He’s been monitoring you for quite some time, ever since I met up with you again.”
“You’ve had him follow me?” Diane asked in shocked disbelief. She stood from her position on the couch as she tried to sort through the troubled emotions Rick’s words had evoked in her. She furrowed her brows as her hands lifted in amazement. “I thought we were working as a team.”
“We are working as a team.”
“Only as long as you have someone following me who can monitor my every move,” Diane countered heatedly. “I thought you trusted me. I thought you believed I was innocent. You don’t, do you? You never have. You just wanted me to believe you did so that you could set me up.”
“Diane,” Rick said as he shook his head emphatically. “That first night, I have to admit I was not certain of your innocence. Maybe then I didn’t trust you. For over three years I had been convinced of your guilt. With Mason, I wanted to make sure that…”
“Make sure that what?” Diane interrupted him. “Make sure that I didn’t steal any more of your precious money?”
“No,” Rick answered. “I needed outside intervention. I wanted to make certain my previous feelings for you didn’t color opinions that I knew were changing dramatically. I wanted Mason to be the objective third party, someone I could trust implicitly to help me discern what was going on.”
“If you supposedly trust me now,” Diane said angrily, “then why didn’t you tell me about him? Why did you pretend to trust me when you’ve been having someone follow me like I’m some kind of criminal?” Her stomach lurched painfully as she turned and began to walk away. She suddenly twisted back toward him, the stress and emotion of the evening coming together. “Do you have any idea how I felt tonight when I discovered him behind me? Do you care at all about the feelings I experienced?”
“I’m sorry,” Rick said, his brown eyes carefully watching her.
“You’re only sorry because I now know your game,” Diane cut back. “You wanted me to believe you were setting up Mrs. Mills but fact is you’ve been setting me up.”
“No,” Rick said, his voice adamant. “That’s not true.”
“This whole thing is a farce. You lied to me. You wanted me to believe you trusted me. How could I have been this blind? How could I have been so stupid to have fallen for this?” She pivoted, heading immediately toward the door to leave but Rick followed, pinning his hand against the door to stop her. “Wait,” Rick said. “Let me explain.”
Diane tilted her face angrily toward his. “What you’ve done speaks louder than anything you could say.”
“You need to hear me out,” Rick insisted. “I’ve been convinced of your innocence for a long time now. This is no game. I’ve had Mason follow you because I’ve been concerned about your safety.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Mason is the one who helped me conceive of the set-up to frame Mrs. Mills,” Rick forged on. “When he learned of the extent of the crimes that were committed, he was the one who suggested that he should keep an eye on you to make sure you were okay. He was the one who insisted you were followed and monitored.” Rick’s brown eyes held hers. “As for tonight, I let him know you’d be coming over and he thought it would be wise to make sure you made it here safely. I’m sure he’s outside watching the house right now.”
Diane shook her head in disgust. “How can you say we’re in this together when I never knew anything about him?”
“We kept silent because we didn’t want you to know Mason was watching you,” Rick answered. “We suspected you’d feel exactly like you do right now.”
Diane frowned. “You never intended to tell me about him. The only reason I happen to know is because I found out about him first.”
“We didn’t mean to frighten you,” Rick insisted, his voice firm. “With everything coming down like it is, we only wanted to keep you safe. That’s the sole reason he’s been around. That’s the only reason he followed you tonight. It’s a matter of trusting what I’m saying. It’s a matter of letting your own prejudices go enough to realize that I’m telling you the truth.”
Diane didn’t want to give in. “If I’m supposedly safe with Mason Trent around then why didn’t you want me to meet with Mrs. Mills tonight?”
Rick sighed heavily. “That’s why I wanted to speak to you in person. Mason and I talked extensively and we decided it was time to contact the authorities. Mason and I were with the detective assigned to your case for over five hours today.”
Diane’s eyes widened in fearful amazement as her heart stopped for a moment in her chest. “You contacted the police?”
“I didn’t intend to alarm you like this,” Rick said. “That’s why I wanted to speak to you and Liz face to face. Everything is going to be fine. It’s the best possible scenario we could have hoped for. The police are willing to believe our story. They want to help us follow through with the setup but they want to do it on their terms.”
Diane leaned weakly against the door. Rick stood above her, his hand resting against the door. “They probably want to question me,” Diane said.
“They do but they want you to continue as you are,” Rick said. “They’re giving you the best chance you’ve got. I’ve been assured that once we get Mrs. Mills’ confession, your name is cleared.”
“If she confesses,” Diane said. “There’s a big chance she won’t.”
“And an even bigger chance that she will,” Rick said. “Letting you follow through with this says something. They do have questions about why you ran from town but they’re willing to give you this chance.” Rick stopped for a minute as he looked directly into her eyes. “Mason Trent is one of your strongest allies. He believes in your innocence and I think his assertions helped today more than mine did. He has no other motive than keeping you safe, the same concern I’ve had. That’s why he followed you tonight. When I said before I thought you were innocent, I meant it. I do trust you. I’ve never gone back on that and I’ve never had any other purpose but to help you establish your innocence. I want you to believe me.”
Diane lifted her hands to her temples, rubbing the tenseness beneath them. “Then why didn’t you tell me about Mason sooner? It might have helped to know he was there.”
“I went with my own judgment in this case and even now I’m not sure I would have done anything differently,” Rick said. “I’m sorry that you were frightened but you and the police are the only ones who know abou
t Mason. Not even Liz knows.”
Diane sighed wearily. “What about Mrs. Mills?”
Rick’s posture suddenly became more relaxed at her question. “There will be no meeting tonight. We’re taking a more aggressive stance in terms of where we meet her and what we want from her. That’s what the detective wants us to do. You’ll call her tomorrow and set the time and date for the meeting inside the R & J late Tuesday night. We want her to see that you have someone there working with you who can back you up. Mark Durfey’s office will be the one you can use for the meeting. You remember him. He’s enough of a rebel to fit into this scheme. We approached him today and he’s willing to help us out, whatever we need. The police are wiring his office tonight to monitor everything that goes on. We’ll go over with the detective tomorrow how he wants you to approach her but in essence, you’ll need to get as much information from her as you can. Our ultimate goal is to get her to admit that she set you up. This is the best scenario we could hope for. It’s the best chance we’ve got to clear your name. This is how we need to move forward and I believe it’s going to work. We just need your consent and cooperation.”
Diane bit her lip in heavy concentration as she thought over his words. “Okay,” she finally said, nodding tiredly. “I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever they want me to do.”
Rick looked at her again, his features softening at her acquiescence. He seemed relieved that Diane no longer held to the notion that he distrusted her. He lifted his hand from off the door and began pulling it away, stopping mid-way to lift his fingers and brush away a few strands of hair that had fallen against her face.
The movement, that one small gesture of reconciliation, was like a spark that suddenly charged the atmosphere between them. It wasn’t until that moment that Diane noticed how truly close they were. Only a few inches separated her from him. In actuality, when she lifted her eyes to his again, she could discern where the dark colors of his brown eyes separated from the black irises.
Where Lies End Page 11