Attempted murder?
She picked up her phone and glanced at the time yet again. The drag of the minutes wore on her nerves, and she told herself to get up and get ready for bed. She had no intention of leaving her room for an assignation with Cole Matheson. She had only his word that he meant her no harm. The ID he’d presented had looked anything but official. A card that could easily have been printed from an online printing press.
Don’t trust him. Don’t trust anyone, a little voice warned.
She finally dozed, only to be awakened by voices in the hallway. She got up and padded to the door, cracking it slightly so that she could glance out. Andrew and Elise Terry lingered in the corridor. She had her hand on his arm and he laughed at something she said. Another couple came up behind them and paused to chat for a moment before they moved on down the hallway.
Elise followed them—reluctantly, Lea thought. She heard the murmur of their good nights and the click of closing doors. Andrew remained in the corridor, one shoulder propped against the wall as if waiting for the place to settle.
Lea closed her door without a sound, and then glanced through the peephole. She couldn’t see Andrew at first and thought he might have moved closer to his own door. Then suddenly his face appeared in the viewer, so close Lea had to fight the urge to jump back. He stood there for the longest time as if contemplating knocking on her door.
There was something different about him. Gone was the polished sophisticate who had rescued her from the rehab center. In his place was a disheveled man who looked as if he’d had too much to drink. Lea’s hand crept to her throat as she watched him. She wanted to turn away, but she didn’t dare make a move or a sound. She couldn’t explain her sudden fear, but her blood had gone cold and her heart raced. It was almost as if he knew she was there. As if he were taunting her...
He laughed softly as he moved away from the peephole. A second later, his door opened and closed, and Lea placed her ear against the wall between their rooms. She could hear him moving around getting ready for bed. The shower came on, and over the sound of the water, a ringtone pealed, followed by his muted voice. Who was he talking to at this hour?
Lea went back into the bedroom and eased open dresser drawers, pulling out jeans and a sweater and then grabbing her sneakers from the closet. She dressed as quietly as she could, and placed her ear against the wall once more. She could no longer hear Andrew’s voice, but the water in the shower was still running. Holding her breath, she pulled open the door and glanced both ways down the hallway.
The coast seemed clear, but still she waited a beat before leaving the safety of her room. Then she hurried along the hallway, down the stairs and across the foyer into the great room, where she paused yet again to reconnoiter. The house was completely silent now. Most of the staff had gone home at ten. The guests were given keys to the outside doors so that anyone taking a midnight stroll would be able to let themselves back in.
Lea unlocked the French doors and moved onto the patio. The moon was still up, painting such a brilliant sheen across the landscape that she didn’t need a flashlight. But the same illumination that lit her way would expose her as she crossed the grounds to the woods. Anyone looking out a balcony window would surely spot her, but she knew of no other way to get to the springs. She felt confident she would be able to find her way even through the woods. She’d found a map of the canyons and trails in her room, and had taken the time to study the topography while she waited for Andrew to come upstairs.
She moved off the patio, skimming her gaze along the second-story balconies before making a break for the trees. She hit the trail running, glancing over her shoulder as the shadows swallowed her up. She didn’t see Cole Matheson lurking about, but she took him at his word that he would be close. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
She came out of the woods at the top of an incline overlooking a grotto. After scrambling down the embankment, she stood at the edge of a shimmering pool, casting her glance over the moonlit water to scour the encroaching shadows. Somewhere behind her, a twig snapped and she whirled.
She didn’t see anything at first. Not so much as the flutter of a leaf. Then a voice said from the darkness, “It’s me. Cole. Don’t be frightened.”
“Where are you?”
He stepped out of the trees and moved slowly toward her. “You decided to come after all.”
She watched him warily. “Yes. I must be insane.”
“Or maybe you’re following your instincts.”
She waited for him to close the distance between them. They stood for a moment facing off against the backdrop of the whispering springs. Lea was suddenly very nervous. Why had she come? Why was she putting her trust in a man she’d never met until a few hours ago?
Her pulse raced and her breath quickened. She felt as if she’d just run a marathon, and all because of the way a stranger stared down at her in the moonlight.
She glanced away, reminding herself that she was a married woman. Her vows were no less sacred because she’d lost her memory.
But what if her husband wanted her dead? How sacred would those vows be then?
One step at a time, Lea.
“Are you sure no one saw you leave your room?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. But you should be able to answer that question better than I. You said you’d be watching,” she reminded him.
“No one followed you out of the house, and we’re protected enough here that our voices won’t carry. We should be safe enough. There’s a rock just behind you. Let’s sit. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
The flat boulder was long enough that they could settle comfortably without brushing shoulders. Lea was grateful for that. She perched on the end farthest from the pool and Cole positioned himself so that he could watch the trail.
“Tell me everything you know about my situation,” she said. “Tell me what I said when I called you. Please don’t leave anything out.”
His gaze swept over the dark scenery. “You said that an acquaintance had mentioned my name as someone who could help you. They gave you my number and you called from a neighbor’s landline because you were afraid your cell was being monitored. You were also worried about someone following you. That’s why you refused to come to my office. We made arrangements to meet at a coffee shop near my building. I gave you some tips on how to elude a tail.”
“But I never showed up.”
“You never showed up.” He waited a beat. “It’s not unusual for a client to back out of a meeting. Things happen. They change their mind or get cold feet. It was different with you. I don’t know why—call it a hunch—but I knew you would have been at that coffee shop unless something dire had stopped you. So I started looking for you.”
“How did you find me?”
“We’ll get into the details later, but I need to tell you more about that phone call. You were worried about an embezzlement scheme that someone had brought to your attention. You’d made inquiries and that’s when things got dicey. You started receiving hang-up calls when you were alone in the house. You noticed strange cars parked on your street at odd hours. You were alarmed but not overly frightened until someone tried to run you off the road. Then you knew your life was in danger.”
“An embezzlement scheme? Who was involved?”
“You wouldn’t say. You said it was too risky to discuss over the phone.”
“Why did I come to you instead of the police?”
“If I were to guess, I’d say you were trying to find concrete proof.”
She sighed. “We don’t have much to go on, do we?”
“We have your attack,” he said. “We know someone is getting desperate. What’s the last thing you remember before waking up in the hospital?”
“Nothing. I don’t remember anything. I have these hazy impressions from my childhood. Nothing specific. I
don’t remember my parents. I don’t know where I grew up or where I attended school, and yet I know that I’m familiar with Hill Country. Not Whispering Springs, though. This place...” She glanced around with a grimace. “Anyway, I’m told mine is an unusual case even though mild amnesia is fairly common after trauma. The victim often can’t recall minutes, hours or even days before and after the event but all other memories remain intact. It’s rarer to be a blank canvas and yet still retain knowledge of everyday functions like how to use a cell phone or computer.”
“What’s the prognosis?”
“The doctor thinks my memory will return, but there’s no way of knowing when or how much. Could be a matter of days, months or even years, or you could say something in the next minute that will trigger total recall.”
“That would be helpful,” he observed.
She couldn’t help smiling. “Wouldn’t it?” She looked out over the pool. “You haven’t yet told me how you found me.”
“I tailed your husband to the hospital.”
She turned in surprise. “You were following him?”
“It seemed like a good place to start. Do you know what he does for a living?”
“He mentioned something about owning a business. I don’t know the details.”
“His company provides software that creates customer profiles by analyzing data from emails, phone calls, social media and online commerce.”
“Is that important?”
Cole shrugged. “At the very least, it may explain your compulsion for privacy. At worst, your husband has the capability of manipulating data to suit his own needs.”
“Meaning?”
“I don’t know yet.” His gaze lingered on her face. “That cut at your temple. You got that in the attack?”
“Blunt-force trauma,” she said. “I was unconscious for two days, but you probably already know that.”
Something flashed in his eyes. “You weren’t caught by surprise. Chances are you knew the assailant.”
“What makes you think that?”
“If he wanted to catch you unaware, he would have struck you from behind.”
“And what makes you so certain the attacker was a man?”
“Human nature. Gut instinct.”
Another hazy scene unfolded in Lea’s head. Someone grabbing her arm and spinning her around. The sound of a gasp. Loud voices...a scream...
“What is it?” Cole asked tensely.
“Nothing...”
“You remembered something, didn’t you?”
“Another vague impression.” She put a hand to her forehead. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now.”
“Are you all right?” He touched her arm lightly and she jumped. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay. I’m still a little jittery.” She drew a breath to steady her nerves. “Where were we?”
“I followed your husband to the hospital. That’s how I found you.”
“Right. How did you know about Whispering Springs? You were already here when we arrived.”
“I planted a bug in his car. I overheard him make the arrangements.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“Desperate times, as they say.”
She let that one go. “What else did you hear?” she asked reluctantly.
“Nothing incriminating. Your husband is a cautious man.”
“Or maybe he has nothing to hide.”
“That’s possible.”
“But you don’t think so.”
“The spouse is always a person of interest.”
“What happened to innocent until proved guilty?”
“This isn’t a court of law, Lea. You asked me to find out who wants you dead. I work on the assumption that everyone around you has a motive.”
The use of her first name stunned her. She felt frightened and vulnerable and yet oddly alive.
Careful, Lea. You don’t know this man. You have no idea what kind of trouble he brings.
“Do you know anything about the other guests?” she asked.
“Anyone in particular you’re curious about?”
“Elise Terry told me earlier tonight that we’d met before.”
That piqued his interest. “Was she surprised you didn’t recognize her?”
“She said we’d only met briefly and she’d changed her hairstyle since then. She said that I had, too. Evidently, I’ve let my hair grow out and lightened it a bit. Anyway, according to Elise, I sit on the board of something called Global Alliances. She said there was some unpleasantness last winter. The CFO was ousted and I cast the deciding vote to advance her.”
“Global Alliances is a nonprofit,” Cole mused. “But you don’t just sit on the board. You’re the founder.”
“The founder?” She shook her head. “That seems so foreign to me. So impossible.” And yet something had started to niggle at the back of her mind. “Can you tell me anything about the organization?”
“Not a lot. It has something to do with microfinancing in developing countries. I’ll dig a little deeper. It’s possible the former CFO was involved in the embezzlement scheme you uncovered.”
“This happened four months ago. Before Christmas, Elise said. Why would someone wait until now to come after me?”
“Any number of reasons. You could have only recently put it all together. Or found proof.”
“There’s something else,” Lea said. “Elise told me that I should be careful going out alone around here. She warned about getting lost on the trails or having an accident on Bishop’s Rock. The way she looked, the tone of her voice...it all seemed vaguely threatening.”
“She bears looking into, as well,” Cole said. “Anything else I should know about?”
“There’s a man. I don’t know his name. He has a beard and wears glasses. Tall, thin, late fifties, maybe.”
“I know who you mean. The first time I noticed him was just before dinner. He must have arrived late.”
“I saw him staring at me in the dining room. After I spoke with Elise, I followed her outside. I thought she might be meeting someone. When I turned to go back inside, he was at the door watching me. I don’t think his presence was a coincidence. He must have followed me out of the dining room.”
“I’ll look into it,” Cole said. “Did you bring your phone? I’ll give you my number. Call if you see or hear anything else suspicious. Day or night. Understand? I won’t be more than a few minutes away.”
She handed him her phone. “You don’t think this person would try something here, do you?”
“Why not?” Cole asked bluntly. “This place is remote, the terrain is rugged. Lots of places to hide a body.”
She shuddered. “But wouldn’t my disappearance look too suspicious so soon after my attack?”
“Your attack speaks more to desperation than subtlety. Don’t let down your guard and don’t let on our suspicions. We need to buy time.”
“Easier said than done.”
“I know. Just try to act normal.”
“Whatever that is,” she murmured.
He rose and glanced around the immediate area. “We’d better get you back before you’re missed.”
She stood slowly, her gaze on his profile. “Thank you.”
He turned. “For what?”
“For watching out for me. For letting me know I’m not completely alone.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders, and this time she didn’t recoil. She gazed up at him in the moonlight, suddenly mesmerized by the gleam in his blue eyes.
“You’re not alone.” His gaze intensified as he leaned in. He lifted a hand and touched his knuckles briefly to her cheek. “We’ll get you through this. You and me together. I know it’s hard, but I need you to trust me.”
When he didn’t m
ove away, she thought he might kiss her. Lea was startled and not a little frightened to realize that she wanted him to. More than anything at that moment.
Their gazes held for a moment longer and then he murmured, “Ready?”
Lea nodded, but she couldn’t help feeling bereft as they walked back through the trees.
Chapter Six
A few minutes later, Lea tiptoed up the stairs and down the hallway to her room. She didn’t turn on a light. The moonlight streaming in through the balcony doors provided ample illumination as she moved quietly into the bathroom to get ready for bed. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then searched her reflection, hoping as she always did that her features would somehow ignite a memory.
She’d just turned away from the mirror when she froze. It wasn’t so much a sound or a movement that alerted her as a certainty that something was wrong. She flicked off the bathroom light and moved to the door, cracking it open to peer out. A cool draft skimmed her face, drawing a deep shiver. Had she left the balcony door open earlier? She was almost certain she hadn’t. She’d been very careful about locking up when she came up after dinner.
Leaving the bathroom, she crept along the wall until she could peer around the corner into the bedroom. The breeze whispered over her again, an icy caress, as her heart catapulted to her throat.
No one’s there. You’re safe.
But someone was there, silhouetted on the balcony. Lea thought at first she had imagined the shadow, and then a tall figure moved toward the door.
“Andrew?” she whispered.
The sound of her voice stilled the intruder. Moonlight sparked off the lenses of his glasses and on the weapon he held in his right hand. She recognized him even in the dim light. The bearded man who had been watching her earlier. Very slowly, he hunkered in the doorway and slid the gun across the floor toward her.
She gasped and jumped back.
“Take it,” he said.
Lea stared at him for a moment, so startled and frightened she could barely comprehend his action. Then she bent and grabbed the gun. The weight of the weapon felt surprisingly reassuring as she curled her fingers around the grip, steadying her right hand with her left. “Don’t come any closer.”
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