Playing Doctor

by Cathy Yardley

  The man at the door looked… well, it was judgmental, but the guy looked like a douche. Total L.A., expensive slacks and a button-up shirt that looked tailored. Dark blond hair, artfully styled, trying too hard to look like it wasn’t. Loafers – who wore those? A Rolex that was probably real, and sunglasses that probably cost more than most of his furniture.

  “Think you’ve got the wrong apartment, pal,” Noah said, and started to close the door. But the man put his hand up.

  “Noah Sukarno?”

  Noah paused. “Yeah?”

  “I’m Killian.” He put out his hand, and Noah reflexively shook it. “Killian Curton. Henry Curton’s son.”

  Noah felt a buzz of surprise. This had to be about the treasure. He hadn’t heard much about Curton’s son, but why else would he be here?

  “Can I come in?”

  “Sure, yeah, of course.” He ushered the guy in, glad that his Mom had drilled in the habit of keeping the place clean. It was still probably tiny compared to what this rich guy was used to, but at least it was neat. “How can I help you?”

  “Funny you should ask that.” Killian sat in Noah’s computer seat, the only real chair in the place. Noah sat on the edge of the bed across from him. “I saw – just like everyone else did – that you’re closer than anyone has ever gotten in the contest.”

  Noah felt a mix of pride and guilt. “It wasn’t me,” he said. “It was all Cressida. I just submitted the clue for review.”

  “Ah yes. Cressida Frost,” Killian said, and Noah felt a prickle of unease at the way Killian said her name. Then again, he hadn’t known Cressida’s last name before, either, and that gave him a zing. Idiot, he chastised himself. “The agoraphobe. She’s not going to be able to help me. But I think you are.”

  “Help you what?”

  “Get the treasure,” Killian said, as if that should be obvious. “You’re going to find it, and you’re going to give it to me.”

  Noah blinked. Then he laughed. “Sure. Right, buddy. And I’d do that why?”

  “Because if you don’t, I’m going to have your mother deported.”

  Now Noah froze, every muscle tightening in fight mode. “You’re what?”

  “Now I have your full attention. Good.” Killian seemed to be oblivious to the brutal beat-down he was about to receive. “I’m sure you revere my father as a god, like the rest of the… what do you call yourselves? Wastelanders?” He sniffed. “Wastrels might be more fitting. Or Wasteds.”

  Noah grimaced.

  Killian continued. “But in actuality, the man is a total asshole. He put this treasure hunt together to feed his own ego, and it’s gone bigger than even he could’ve imagined. I want to show that it’s a hoax.”

  “But it’s not a hoax if you need me to find it for you, dickhead,” Noah growled, his hands forming fists. “Now what was that about my mother?”

  “It’ll seem like a hoax when I tell the world that I’ve been holding it for the past few years, but can’t live with the guilt anymore,” he said. “And I’ll get the treasure besides.”

  “My Mom has a green card,” Noah interrupted. “There’s no reason for her to be deported!”

  “A reason? That’s adorable.” Killian looked at him condescendingly. “Do you really think that I need a reason? I’m rich, and I’ve got influence. She’s not even a citizen.” He sneered. “I make a call to my contact at ICE, and she’s out of here. We both know it.”

  Noah felt fear, cold and sharp, pierce through his stomach. He stood up. “You even try…”

  “I know that you feel like you could kick my ass, and I don’t doubt that you could,” Killian said, sounding bored. “But all that will do is get you in jail, and then I’ll simply put pressure on Cressida… after I send your mother packing. You’d still be awaiting trial, unable to get bail I imagine, while your mother gets on the next plane to Indonesia. Sound about right?”

  Noah flexed, but the icy ball in his stomach grew. The asshole was probably right there.

  “What if I don’t find the treasure?” he said. “I mean, we got a clue right, but it’s still a big area. We haven’t zeroed in on it completely.”

  “The old man said you’re close – a day away. He wouldn’t have if you weren’t really, really close to it,” Killian replied. “So you’re going to go track it down. I’m feeling generous, so I’ll give you a week.”

  “I still have to work and stuff!”

  “I don’t give a shit,” Killian spat out. “You’ve got a week, or Mom goes bye-bye, do you understand?”

  Just one hit might be worth it, Noah thought, taking a step closer. Killian got to his feet, finally showing some nervousness. He was arrogant, but even he had a little sense of self preservation. He pulled out his wallet, then handed Noah a card. “Call me when it’s done.”

  With that, Killian opened the door and strode out.

  Noah slammed the door behind him, then started pacing the small confines of his studio apartment. This was insane. How the hell was he supposed to find Curton’s treasure in a month? He had bills to pay. And besides, they had the area, but the clue was still vague. Even if Curton said that they were a day away from the treasure, that didn’t mean anything.

  This Killian guy is crazy. There was nothing that proved that this guy was Henry Curton’s son, anyway. Maybe it was a prank, by someone else on the boards. There were a lot of crazy treasure hunters out there, unscrupulous and just insane Wastelanders that wanted the treasure more than anything. Maybe that’s all it was, he told himself.

  But what if he wasn’t crazy? What if he was the real deal – and Mom really is in danger of being deported?

  When he was a kid, he’d gone to a public school where rich kids and not-so-rich (okay, poor) kids like himself had shared classes. He remembered Scott Travers, son of the owner of the local Lexus dealership, demanding that Noah let him copy the answers from his pre-calc test. He was an asshole, and Noah had said no. So when Scott got caught stealing the answers from the teacher, Scott still managed to blame Noah.

  Because of Scott’s family reputation, the teacher had actually believed him. And Noah had gotten suspended and flunked the class.

  He’d complained to his mother about the unfairness of it all. But she’d quickly shut him up.

  “There are people with power in this world, people with money,” she said. “Don’t cross them, try not to get their attention.”

  “But why?” he’d asked, shocked.

  Her eyes were sad and much older than their years. “Because you won’t ever win.”

  He closed his eyes. This was a hell of a lot more important than high school pre-calc. He had some vacation time saved up. But he still needed to figure out the last aspect of the clue – where the treasure was. If only Cressida could go with him. She knew the book inside and out. She puzzled out clues like it was her life’s work. She’d gotten them that far – he could only imagine that she’d be able to see things that he overlooked.

  So go ask Cressida for help. Invite her along. See if there’s some way to make this work.

  He nodded, feeling resolve settle in his chest. Then he picked up his phone and called work to arrange for his leave of absence.

  It was three days from Clue Confirmation Day, as Cressida was calling it in her head. Three days of stress and research and trying not to think about things as the landlord had a realtor look through everything, telling them what they needed to clean and clear out, and saying (without even pretending to be quiet about it) that maybe it would sell better “if it were staged… and there weren’t tenants here.”

  Cressida reserved violence for extreme situations, but she’d very vividly envisioned throat punching the woman then and there.

  At least the research had been going well, although strangely, Noah had gone radio silent after sending her a bunch of possible sites. She’d narrowed it down to three and had a really good feeling about Minerva’s Spa and Hot Spring. It seemed tailor made, and there were rock outcropping
s nearby, similar to the descriptions in Wastelands. She’d know better once she actually got a look at it.

  She took a deep breath as her stomach clenched and anxiety started to nibble at her. Because she was serious. She wanted to look at it.

  The treasure was reported to be four million, in gold, jewels, and paper money. Four million would more than buy the house – it would take care of Rachel’s school debts and keep the store running in the black. While the treasure hunt had been a fun pipe dream to keep her occupied the past few years, she was too close to actually solving the damned thing now.

  The only trick was: how to get there?

  It was a Saturday, and Rachel and Hailey were both working at the store. Some customers had breezed in and out.

  “We can try to get a home loan,” Rachel was saying gamely.

  “Mr. Williams won’t take Jake’s money. He made that really clear,” Hailey said, her voice glum. “He thinks it’s just encouraging the show, and he hates Mystics.”

  “He probably would’ve tried to gouge him anyway,” Rachel said.

  Cressida cleared her throat, walking up to the counter. “I have an idea. But it’s a little… unusual.”

  Or crazy.

  Both sisters looked at her, their blue eyes mirroring each other. “What’s your idea?” Hailey asked.

  “Um… remember the treasure hunt?”

  Just like that, she saw the disbelief and, well, amusement cross their faces. “Not the hunt you’ve been obsessed with,” Hailey said, shaking her head. “I mean, sure, that’d be great. But haven’t thousands of people been looking for that thing all over the country?”

  “Yes, but I’ve gotten closer,” Cressida said. “In fact, the guy who actually hid the treasure says that my guess is the closest anyone’s ever gotten.”

  Rachel homed in on that stage. “Did you find it, then? Do you know exactly where it is?”

  “Not precisely exactly,” Cressida hedged. “But I’ve got it narrowed down, and I feel really confident.”

  “Where, almost exactly, is it?” Hailey asked.

  And here would be stumbling block number two. Cressida took a deep breath, then blurted out, “The Mojave Desert.”

  “Oh, come on,” Hailey scoffed, rolling her eyes.

  “I’ve got final papers and research projects to work on, as well as the casino job,” Rachel said, a bit more gently. “I can’t go to the Mojave Desert.”

  “And we’ve got the store to run.” Hailey’s voice was a little crisper. “I don’t want to go down and wander in the desert because you’ve got a hunch.”

  “It’s more than a hunch,” Cressida shot back. “I’ve got verified…”

  “Verified by who?” Hailey said. “For all you know, this old guy’s running a hoax, and he ‘verifies’ clues every now and then to keep people interested!”

  Cressida bit the inside of her cheek and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Unfortunately, Hailey wasn’t the only person to have thought that – there had been plenty of speculation that this was all an elaborate scam to keep Curton’s books selling. “I believe in it,” she said quietly, with as much dignity as she could muster.

  Hailey’s expression softened. “Sweetie, I know. And it sounds great. But even if I got down there, I wouldn’t know what I was looking for, you know?”

  “I would go with you.”

  Now both sisters stared at her like she’d grown another head. “You’d go? How?” Hailey finally said, sounding shocked.

  “Kyla’s RV. I made it to the Puyallup fair, remember?”

  “But you didn’t make it out of the RV,” Rachel pointed out. “The crowds were too much for you.”

  “I did get to hear some of the music, and I got as far as the entrance,” Cressida said. It might not seem like much, but for someone who had been housebound for ten years, it had been a big achievement. “And I did go camping with you guys, by Lake Washington.”

  “This is a hell of a lot more intense than just driving an hour or so away. This would be days.”

  “But it wouldn’t be crowds,” Cressida said. “And I’d be with you, people I’ve always felt safe around. Besides, I’ve worked hard on getting used to the RV. If it gets too much, I’ll just hang out there, regroup.”

  She could tell from the expressions on their faces that they weren’t convinced. Rachel’s look of concern was answered by Hailey’s quick head shake.

  “It’s just not practical,” Rachel said. “RV hookups, places to stay, food… that all costs money. And you can’t drive, so one of us would have to go with you.”

  Cressida felt her mouth draw into a tight line. “It’d just take a few days to get down there, another few to look around. Then hopefully we’d have the treasure… and it’d be just under a week. Two at the most.”

  “Two weeks of the store, a major part of our income, shut down because Rachel is either working or at school,” Hailey said. “Or Rachel missing work and income because she takes time off to mind the shop. We can’t afford it, Cress.”

  Cressida heard the bell from the front door open, but she didn’t turn to see who it was. “If I could… maybe Kyla could come with me,” she said. “I mean it. I think this could work.”

  “Kyla’s got a big convention coming up, and two costume orders,” Hailey said, with at least a note of regret in her voice. “And Mallory’s got work, too. The guys are filming…”

  Rachel reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “I know how much this means to you, but I just don’t see how we can make this work.”

  Cressida felt tears of frustration well up, and she quickly blinked them away.

  Hailey hugged her. Rachel turned to the customer. “Can I help you find anything?”

  “Yes, actually,” Cressida heard a deep voice say. “I’m looking for Cressida?”

  She released Hailey and spun, her heart starting to pound.

  I know that voice!

  “Noah?” she asked, staring at the stranger in front of her.

  He was maybe five feet ten inches, with broad shoulders. Even under his fleece jacket and jeans, she could tell he was muscular. Dark brown wavy hair over equally dark brown eyes. Tanned skin. And a slow, sexy smile.

  “You’re… Noah?” she repeated.

  He nodded. “And you must be Cressida.” He smiled. “You probably get this a lot, but you look a lot more like Amy Pond than River Song.”

  She could feel the shock emanating from Rachel and Hailey. “Um, want to introduce us?” Hailey said, nudging her.

  “This is Noah. He’s…” She frowned. How to say this. “He’s a friend.”

  His smile broadened, showing beautiful white teeth. She’d had no idea he looked like this.

  Get a grip, you idiot. You’re about to swoon, and there isn’t a fainting couch nearby.

  “And how did you two meet?” This from Rachel. Both sisters were torn between curiosity and protectiveness, Cressida could tell.

  “We know each other from the Curton treasure hunt,” Noah said. “We’ve known each other for a few years. Online, and um, texting mostly.”

  “So you’ve never met in person?” Hailey’s sculpted eyebrows leaped up towards her hairline.

  “No. I live in Long Beach. California,” he clarified.

  “And why are you here?” Hailey had dropped any pretense of friendliness at this new revelation.

  “I’m here to talk to Cressida,” he said. “Because I want to help her find the treasure.”

  Noah wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t this gorgeous, red-haired, almost elven looking woman standing by the counter of the collectibles store. He swallowed as best he could in a mouth that had suddenly gone dry. She was waif-like, swamped in an oversized emerald green sweater and a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee, her long hair tumbling down almost to her waist. She was a knockout.

  And you’re here to convince her to help you find the treasure.

  He took a deep breath
. He was positioning it as helping her find the treasure, but really, it was all the same. He’d taken Killian’s threat to heart, but figured if he got the treasure, he’d probably be able to protect his Mom with the money… hire an immigration lawyer, something. But Killian sounded unhinged. He wanted his Mom safe, and let’s face it: he was excited about being so close to the treasure, thanks to Cressida’s help.

  He still needed her help. Hopefully, she’d see that he brought something to the table, as well.

  “You’re one of those crazy treasure hunters?” one of the other women asked.

  He frowned. “You must be one of Cressida’s sisters?” he asked, looking at Cressida for confirmation.

  Cressida smiled weakly. “This is Hailey,” she said, nodding at the woman whose dark brown hair was up in Victory rolls, and who was wearing a tight cherry-red sweater and a pair of black jeans with lace-up Doc Martins. She looked like someone who would look sexy kicking your ass – and who seemed very tempted to do just that, given the glare she was sending his way. “And this,” she said, gesturing to the other woman, “is my older sister Rachel.”

  Rachel was, in a word, a knockout. She had dark walnut hair, so dark it was almost black, and the same violet-blue eyes as Hailey. Neither of them looked like Cressida, he noticed, and wondered what the story was there. Then he remembered Cressida mentioning she’d been a foster kid, so there was probably no blood relation there.

  He nodded at both sisters, who continued to stare at him warily. Then he turned to Cressida. “I thought maybe we could talk,” he said, wondering if they could get some privacy. It’s not like he could take her out to dinner, although he found himself really, really tempted to ask if that were somehow possible.

  Easy, buddy. Keep your eye on the prize. Don’t let your crush derail you just because you’ve finally met her in person.

  “What do you want to talk to her about?” Hailey butted in.

  “Like I said, I want to help her find the treasure,” he said. “Although I have to say, after all this time texting and even talking, it’s great to finally put a face to the name.”