by Adam (lit)
“So you struck out on your own.” Garth leaned back and studied the woman across from him. He’d known that the woman Adam kidnapped was different from the Kara he had heard about. However, Adam was certain it was Kara they had taken from the hospital parking lot that fateful night.
She smiled at him, and then went back to playing with the fork. “Self-preservation, I suppose. If I’d stayed at home, I’d have been relegated to a second-class family member, a second-class citizen, and I was determined I’d do the best I could out on my own. If I failed, well then, only I would be to blame. So I took off.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t missed. It was a total surprise when I was invited to Kara and Aaron’s wedding. It was the first time I’d seen Kara in years, and the only time I’d met Aaron. I’m not even sure why I attended the gala affair. And with Kara, you can bet it was an extravaganza. If Aaron didn’t pay for part of it, her father is still paying.”
Garth continued to watch Lyn until she pushed her chair back and stood. “Would you mind if I sit in the great room instead of going back to that suite? I’m so tired of those four walls.”
“No problem. It’s too cold for you to run away, so I guess it’s safe to assume you won’t try it.”
She turned away. “I’m not going anywhere until I hear what Adam finds out.”
* * * *
The long day turned into night and still, there was no word from Adam. Instead of going to bed, Lyn remained in the great room, the television turned low on the historical channel. Garth came in and sat until midnight. He put logs on the fire before he said goodnight and went to bed.
“Are you staying in here tonight?” Hana stood in the doorway, arms folded as usual, her expression as empty as the blank television screen where the program had just ended.
“I’m not ready for bed yet, and Garth doesn’t think I’ll run away, so yes, I’ll stay in here for a while.”
Hana grunted. Lyn wondered if that was some sort of secret communication language for the woman. “I will make hot chocolate if you like.”
Surprised, Lyn stared at her, and then smiled. “Thank you, Hana, I really would like some hot chocolate.”
When Hana left the room, Lyn watched the door for some time and finally shook her head. Strange woman. Well, hell, the entire scenario was bizarre. It was only natural the inhabitants would be strange.
Hana returned with a mug of hot chocolate and cookies on a China plate. A snow white napkin lay folded by the mug.
“The cookies, they are plain sugar kind.”
“I’m sure they’re delicious like all the other foods you fix, Hana. Thank you.”
The woman retreated as silently as she had appeared.
Lyn drank the hot chocolate and nibbled on the cookies. She didn’t remember if she’d eaten dinner, and it didn’t really matter. She wasn’t hungry. But the hot drink and the cookies would break the monotony.
Restless after she finished eating, Lyn paced around the room, eyeing the bookshelves for an interesting title. Finding nothing to incite her curiosity, she went down the hall to the rooms where she had been prisoner for … how long? Almost a month surely. Somewhere, there must be a calendar. Her nurse’s watch showed the date, but she didn’t even know where it was, still in her handbag, no doubt. She should have found a weather station on the television. Surely they would show the date and time. The television in the sitting room hadn’t been used much. She had tried to find news about her disappearance, but there had been nothing. So, as far as the world was concerned, she was somewhere visiting her ill sister.
Oh, Kara. It was hard to think of Kara as dead. She was so much alive, so into doing everything to keep from being bored. Boredom for Kara was equal to death. Both of them, Aaron and Kara, gone. Standing still in the middle of the room, she let her mind dwell on the dream. It had been avoided since the first night when her screams had awakened everyone.
The whirling lights as the car crashed over a guardrail and tumbled over and over. The loud cracks as trees snapped from the force of the collision. The shattering of glass as Kara was catapulted from the car.
A whimper brought her back to the present, and she realized the sound came from her. She covered her face with her hands and hot tears seeped through her fingers. Angry, and not sure why she was angry, Lyn swiped at the tears, sucked in her breath and found tissues to wipe the wetness away. It was normal to cry over a death, wasn’t it? Not that Kara had cared about Lyn, or anyone else for that matter. Perhaps she had loved Aaron. Lyn had no desire to know whether she did or not. That was between husband and wife.
Emotionally and physically exhausted, she stretched, fully clothed, on her bed. A glance at the radio clock said it was four-thirty. Tomorrow—today—she’d pay attention to the television or ask Garth what day it was.
It was seven-thirty when she awakened. A phone ringing somewhere in the distance brought her wide awake.
Adam. Oh, let it be Adam.
How could she hear a phone ringing back here away from everything? The door to her bedroom had been left open, and she supposed that was why she could hear it. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and sat for a moment, listening.
Nothing. No one stirred.
She brushed her teeth, showered, and dressed in a dark green warm up suit. If she ever got home and back to a normal wardrobe, it would be a long time before she ever wore another warm up suit. Of course, as cold as it had been and with all the snow, they were certainly the outfit of choice. But she was tired of them.
Garth was already at the table when Lyn entered the breakfast nook. He looked up without his usual smile ....
“Good morning, Lyn.” He took a second look at her paleness, at the shadows deeper than yesterday, and the drawn look to her lips. “Have some breakfast.” It would be better if he waited until she ate before giving her the latest news.
“Hana was kind enough to make something for me while I watched an old Cary Grant movie.”
“Would you like coffee?” Hana stood behind Garth and stared at Lyn.
“Yes, thank you, Hana.” Wonder if I have egg on my face and haven’t even been close to one? Garth and Hana were giving her rather hard and curious looks.
Hana brought coffee, she thanked her, and took her first sip. Another thing Hana was good at: Making excellent coffee.
“Did you hear from Adam?”
“Yes.” He watched her as he gave her the news. “They’ve found the bodies.”
Her heart stopped for an instant, and she couldn’t get her breath. A haze came between her and Garth. She blinked it away. She had expected this, but when it was baldly stated, the horror of it all came crashing down on her.
“How?” It was all she could manage. The room grew dark, and then it spun around. She blinked to set it straight.
“Aaron’s body was still in the car just as you said. They found Kara several feet up the mountain, just as you said. Her mink coat was over the back seat of the car, just as you said.”
She stared at him and, suddenly, she covered her mouth with both hands and bolted for the bathroom.
Garth found her there, crouched on the floor, her head on the lowered commode lid. Dry sobs forced their way past her aching throat.
He knelt by her. “Come on, Lyn.” He put his arms around her and lifted. She was limp and trembling. “Shhh. It’s okay. Shhh.” He carried her to the bed and stretched her legs to make her comfortable.
Lyn lay with one arm across her eyes. There were no tears, just the raw sound of misery. Garth got a glass of water and carried it to her.
“Take a sip. It’ll help the throat.” He propped her head against his arm and waited while she drank a little.
“Thanks.” Her voice was husky and barely audible.
Garth sat on the bed, wondering how he could comfort her, wishing Adam was there to take care of Lyn. Adam knew how to deal with weepy women; Garth didn’t. Besides, this was different from the usual woman tears. Whatever Adam thought of Lyn, her grief was genuine.
She had known the fate of Aaron and Kara, but even so, it was a horrendous shock to realize her dream had been so accurate.
“Adam.” Lyn cleared her throat before starting over. “Did Adam mention me? I mean, what’s to be done about me now that he knows I’m actually Lyn Sands.”
“Yes. You’re free to go.”
The arm came down from her face. “What?”
“Adam said to take you home as soon as you were ready to go.”
“Just like that?” No word of apology. Nothing to indicate he thought of her as anyone or thing other than a means to an end. Nothing personal. I’m through with you. Goodbye. She would laugh if it weren’t so heartbreaking.
“Yes. I’m available to drive you to Albuquerque whenever you choose.”
“I can be ready in 30 minutes.”
He stared, and then glanced around the room. “Thirty minutes?”
“Yes.”
He stood. “Thirty minutes it is. I’ll be back to get your bags.”
Chapter Eighteen
Garth knocked on the open door and glanced inside. He didn’t see Lyn at first but took a step inside the room and saw her. She was standing by the sliding doors with the vertical blinds partly open. Just standing, eyes wide and blank, fixed on something outside. He didn’t see anything.
“Lyn?”
She turned and smiled, but it was a caricature, a frozen, fixed expression. “I’m ready, Garth.”
He looked for her baggage, saw only the small suitcase they’d taken from her apartment the night of her abduction.
“What about the other clothes?” He motioned toward the closet.
“They’re Kara’s, not mine.”
“They fit and they’re ....” He almost said ‘they’re more expensive than yours,’ but he hesitated.
She shook her head. “I don’t need them.”
“Are you sure? Adam said take everything.”
He can unload his own baggage. I’ll not do it for him.
“No.” She bent to pick up the small suitcase, but he reached it first.
“Lyn.” He caught her arm. “Don’t blame Adam too much. He was worried about Aaron, and he knew Kara well enough that he suspected her. You.” He stopped, unsure where to go with it.
“Yes, I blame Adam.” She gave him a tiny smile. “Who else would I blame? You? Hana? You did what you were told and were paid to do.” She moved away. “It doesn’t matter now, Garth. Nothing about this charade matters right now. Just take me home.”
She walked ahead of him down the hall. Hana stood at the kitchen door watching the two of them. Her eyes went from Lyn to Garth to the small suitcase. Her thin lips tightened.
Lyn stopped. “Goodbye, Hana. Merry Christmas.” She didn’t wait for a response but kept walking to the garage. It was open and the SUV was running to warm the inside. Without waiting for Garth, she climbed into the passenger side, slammed the door, and fastened the seat belt. He shoved the suitcase into the back and slid beneath the wheel. A moment later, they headed down the long lane toward the mountain highway.
It wasn’t snowing for a change. The sun reflected with blinding light off the snow. Trees along the road turned into sparkling Christmas trees. She had asked, and Garth had told her, that it was December the twenty-second. Three days until Christmas.
Christmas. Her apartment would be cold with no decorations. The refrigerator was, hopefully, empty. She certainly hoped they hadn’t left food in it when they went inside the apartment. She didn’t ask. It didn’t make any difference now.
Garth wasn’t much for making conversation, and Lyn had nothing to say. It was taking its toll on her nerves and emotions to remember what had transpired, the things that preceded the tragedy, and Adam. Always Adam. Something twisted in her heart, and she was sure there would be days when she would suffer from fallout. Fallout. That sounded like a nice word for her affair with Adam, the affair he’d forced on her, but her falling in love with him had been strictly her own doing. Stupid. Ah, yes, such stupidity would demand payment. She didn’t want to think how much she’d have to pay for that misstep.
“Are you hungry?”
“No. Stop and get something if you are.” She was going home; that was all she wanted.
Some time later, he said, “I have to stop for a couple of things.” He pulled into a strip mall and stopped near a fast food shop.
“If it’s not too much trouble, I would like a drink, Garth.” Her throat had gotten so dry she could barely swallow.
“Sure. I won’t be long.”
She didn’t watch where he went but put her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. The door on her side opened and she turned. Garth stood there with the largest bunch of yellow roses she’d ever seen. She blinked. There must be two dozen of them, wrapped in green cellophane and smelling of springtime.
“Take them, Lyn. There’s a card.”
She reached for the flowers but withdrew her hands and looked at his serious face above them.
“Where did they come from?”
“Take the flowers, Lyn, and read the card.” He placed them in her lap, removed the card, and placed it in her hand. “I’m going next door and get the drink you wanted.”
Her gaze followed him until he disappeared around the building. She looked at the envelope he’d given her, slid her thumb nail beneath the loose flap, and removed the card. It was embossed in heavy gold with the flower shop logo across the face of it. She unfolded it and read: With Regrets, Adam.
After reading the three words several times, she closed the card and replaced it. She stared at the tiny envelope. Sorrow, an ache so sharp it took her breath, a deep grief for what might have been and never could be, filled her.
Regrets. I have a few. Wasn’t that an old Frank Sinatra tune? But, then, doesn’t everyone have regrets now and then? They’re a part of life, of living, of making mistakes.
With Regrets, Adam. She wondered if he really did have them.
Garth climbed into the car and handed her a tall cup with a straw in it. “I had them put crushed ice.”
“That’s fine.” She sipped at the cold liquid and swallowed.
“Where are the roses?”
“In the back seat. I couldn’t hold them up here.” She couldn’t bear to touch them. Flowers were supposed to bring happiness, to show feelings, to portray love. Well, these showed feelings: Regrets. Laughter bubbled up, but she sipped the drink to keep from giving way to hysteria and frightening Garth.
“We’re about an hour from Albuquerque.”
Lyn hadn’t paid attention to how far they’d come, but evidently they were in or near Santa Fe. That would put them about an hour from home. Home. She was ready for it even if it was going to be a rough homecoming. She’d get through it somehow. Trish would be home for New Year’s, and they’d celebrate.
When she didn’t comment, Garth looked at her. “We can grocery shop before we get to your apartment. You won’t have anything to fix, and it’s getting late.”
“I’ll shop tomorrow or the weekend. There’s no hurry. I have canned goods.” She turned toward him. “Unless you moved everything out.”
“No. The only thing we took was clothing. We did empty perishables out of the refrigerator.”
“So thoughtful of you.” Sarcasm came through loud and clear.
“Yeah. I guess you’d think so.”
He started the car and pulled back onto the highway. Once on the interstate, he set the cruise control and didn’t try to engage her in conversation. Not too long after that, he took an exit off the interstate.
“One more stop. I need to pick up some papers for Adam.”
When he pulled into a parking lot, Lyn looked up. People’s Bank. Papers for Adam. Oh, yes, he had businesses all over the southwest and People’s Bank would be the logical institution for him to use. Her lips twisted. Mabry Enterprises: Imports and Exports. All the Mabry money at her fingertips hadn’t made Kara happy, and in the end, had claimed her life.
The bank door swung open, and Garth came out. He was carrying a small black leather case about the size of a business envelope. When he was settled behind the wheel, he handed it to Lyn.
She looked at the case, turned it over in her hands. “Do you want it put into the glove compartment?”
“Open it.” He stared straight ahead and didn’t bother to start the car.
“What?”
“It’s yours. Open it.”
“Why?”
“Because, dammit, you’re supposed to open it and not ask questions.” Garth was fast becoming impatient with her.
“All right, if you feel that way about it.” It was evidently her identification cards and driver’s license or copies so she could work and drive her car until she got replacements. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Too many other things had occupied her mind.
The case was fastened with Velcro and made a ripping sound when she opened it. Inside was a single slip of paper. She took it out and turned it so she could see the face of it. A cashier’s check made out to Lynette Sands. She choked when she read the amount. Her fingers stiffened and she almost crushed the expensive piece of paper.
“What is this for?”
He turned to her. “You’ve earned it.”
Incredulous, she stared. “Earned it? By doing what? Being kidnapped, putting up with verbal and physical abuse, getting run over by a runaway van?”
“That’s about the gist of it.”
“No, that isn’t it at all.” She didn’t speak what she was thinking. Adam was paying her for services rendered. He thought of her as nothing more than a prostitute, and she’d been that for him. She’d been his sexual outlet for a few weeks, and this was her well-earned salary.
Sick at heart, her first thought was to rip the paper to shreds and throw it out the window to let the desert winds blow it to hell. Just where she wished Adam Mabry. Instead, she dropped it into the side pocket of her handbag. Neither spoke as he turned in the direction of her apartment.
Garth pulled into the driveway and stopped. Lyn’s heart speeded up, and she drew in a sharp breath. She was home!
How could it look the same? The neatly rockscaped yard the landlord took such pride in. The pale yellow kitchen curtains drawn over the small window visible from the driveway. The stained glass in the front door; the mail box attached to the side of the door frame. Three stone steps led to the tiny porch that was her entry way.