Strangers

by Crystal V. Rhodes

  From the discomfort of the hard ground where he was suppose to be tightening the lugs, Hardman watched surreptitiously as Sin leaned against the front of his car and talked on the cell phone. He noted the long, lean lines of his tall, well toned body and the confidence of his stance. It was a marvel, as if his grandfather had come to life. He looked just like him.

  In the eerie silence of the countryside, he could hear snatches of Sinclair’s side of the conversation. Hardman had discerned that he was talking to Darnell. He also managed to hear enough to figure out that someone named Starr had been hired to catch “the scum”, who he assumed was the kidnappers. Darnell had warned them publicly that she would have someone on their case until they were caught. She was proving as good as her word. Hot damn! That was his girl!

  Having finished with the lugs, Hardman tossed the flat tire into the trunk of the car. He looked around in time to see Sinclair walking back toward him.

  “You’re all finished?” He walked around to the side of the car, hunkered down and checked the lugs. “They look good.” Replacing the hubcap, he took the car off the jack and stood to face Hardman. “All set.” He handed Hardman the jack and tire iron, which he placed in the trunk before closing it.

  Turning to Sin, Hardman held his dirty hand out to shake Sinclair’s filthy one. “I can’t thank you enough. Can I offer you some mon…”

  “Don’t insult me.” Sin pumped the man’s hand heartily. “I’m sure you would have done the same for me.”

  “Then can I buy you a drink? Dinner maybe?” He didn’t want to let him go.

  “No, I’m good.”

  Sin’s phone rang again. Withdrawing it from his pants pocket, he looked at the caller ID.

  “It’s my wife,” he told Hardman apologetically.

  “Okay.” Hardman started backing away. “I’d better get out of here.” He looked at the darkened sky. In a minute or two it would be pitch black. “Thank you again.”

  “No sweat,” Sin started backing toward his own car. With one last wave, he turned away to answer his cell phone.

  Hardman got into his car, made a u-turn. Sin was standing by his car talking on his phone. Hardman didn’t speed away until he saw Sin’s car lights come on, and through his rear view mirror observe the pattern of his car lights making a similar u- turn and head his way.

  Sinclair’s car followed Hardman’s until they both reached the Salinas city limits. It wasn’t until the two men approached the highway entrance that they turned in two different directions.

  CHAPTER 21

  Dana was posing in the front doorway when James opened it the next morning. Wearing a bright orange trench coat and carrying a matching umbrella, her outfit along with her dazzling smile brighten a grey and rainy day.

  “Good morning.” She gave him a quick peck on the lips. They had spoken on the phone last night and made arrangement to eat breakfast together at his house.

  “Good morning to you.” James closed the door behind her and helped her out of her coat. He hung it in the closet, while she placed the wet umbrella in the tiled foyer. Encircling her waist, he held her loosely in his embrace. “Okay, now you can give me a real good morning kiss.”

  “If you insist.” Dana decided to lay one on him.

  Gently moving his head down to her level, she softly brushed her lips across his, enticing them to part. Once inside, the tip of her tongue explored the cozy corners that had become all too familiar and lovingly sparred with his tongue in a battle for control. The kiss deepened. It lingered. It promised the possibility of a future that could include each other.

  “Wow! That’s what I call a kiss.”

  “I can feel your appreciation.” Dana’s hand grazed his middle.

  “That’s right, and if you do that again, we won’t be getting to breakfast until lunch time.”

  She flashed him a wicked grin. “Is that a promise?”

  “Woman, you are wicked.” He guided her toward the kitchen. “I better get you in here while I can still walk.”

  He enjoyed their sexual repartee, and the idea of making love to her right there in the foyer was an inviting one, but he didn’t want Dana to think that his only interest in her was sexual. She meant more to him than that.

  After Dana was escorted into the brightly colored kitchen she shrilled in delight. James had set the table in the nook with a linen table cloth, matching napkins and a single lit candle. Two crystal goblets held glasses of orange juice and beside them lay two wrapped breakfast sandwiches from a fast food restaurant.

  “I cooked for hours,” James quipped.

  As they delved into their sandwiches, Dana enjoyed the pleasure of being with James. This giant of a man was nothing like the ones that she had previously dated. He had come from the streets and fought his way to his present position in life on his own terms. He was open and easy going, a direct contradiction to his looming presence. She had to admit that she could see herself falling hard for this man.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  “I was thinking about how I could learn to like having breakfast with you like this in the mornings.”

  James liked her answer, but he didn’t respond to what she had said right away. Finishing off his sandwich, he washed it down with the rest of his juice, wiped his mouth and sat back in his chair. He inhaled deeply before focusing on Dana.

  “We seem to have a good thing going here, and I like it. I don’t want to lose it. While we were flying back here, I got to thinking about Nate and how I watched him make work his priority for years. Women came in and out of his life, but I don’t ever remember him talking about anybody seriously. If one of them came into his life who demanded too much of his time, she was usually eliminated. I think that he was scared of committing to something or someone he couldn’t control.”

  “Did he have a lot of control over you?” Dana couldn’t conceive of anyone being able to hold any power over this bear of a man.

  “In a way he did. I worshipped him and he knew it. I really never challenged him. I followed every step he suggested I take, and ended up the better for it, so I can’t complain.”

  “I hear a but.”

  “But I don’t want to end up like he did at the end—alone. I’ve known the joy of having a family and the pain of losing one, but even knowing how much that pain can hurt, I’m still willing to give that chance at joy one more try with you.”

  Dana was both touched and surprised by his admission. James didn’t seem to be the type of man to put his heart on the line like this. It wouldn’t be fair to him if she was less candid.

  “I’ve told you that I’m scared, James. We both agreed that we need time to let this relationship develop.”

  “We’re still on that same page.” James rested his muscled arms on the table and leaned toward Dana. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m willing to do whatever it takes so that our relationship can develop. I don’t want to make a mistake with us.”

  “I don’t either. I want a mutual commitment, like Ray and my sister have.”

  “I wouldn’t want anything less.

  James had witnessed the Wilson’s devotion to each other when the four of them were together in New York. He had seen it yesterday when Ray had agonized over the contents of the envelope that had been discovered in Nate’s office.

  It wasn’t difficult for James to guess that whatever was in that package could in some way affect Ray’s wife. Without sharing the details of what was inside, Ray had asked James a question that had made him ponder the complexities of a relationship.

  “What would you do if you had to make a choice between truth and love?”

  Somehow he knew that what Ray was asking had to do with what was in that envelope.

  “That’s a hard one, so let me think about it,” he had told him. They had shared a glass of wine and some chit chat until James was ready to address the question.

  “If the truth cost me the love, then I’d chose love,” he had finally answ
ered.

  Giving James a noncommittal smile, Ray hadn’t responded. Instead, he stared into space, seemingly lost in thought.

  James had excused himself to make a few phone calls. When he returned to the living room Ray had asked if he could use his paper shredder.

  James had watched as Ray had meticulously removed the pages from the envelope. Never glancing at any of them, he had destroyed each one by one. After the last page was shredded into tiny pieces, the remnants were placed in a plastic trash bag and put out with the other garbage for pickup.

  Before he left for the evening, Ray had said, “I’m going to let truth take care of itself.”

  “You’re not listening to me.”

  When James started, she became aware that his mind had been somewhere else. That surprised her. He always seemed to be listening.

  “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about something that someone asked me recently and I’d like to hear your opinion.”

  Finishing the last of her sandwich, Dana tossed her napkin aside and leaned across the table. “Shoot.”

  “What would you do if you had to make a choice between truth and love?”

  Dana’s eyes searched his face. Was he trying to tell her something? Had he been dishonest with her?

  Suddenly, she caught herself. She was doing it again. Questioning. Suspecting. Doubting. They were the same things that she had done in her other relationships, the unsuccessful ones. If she wanted this one to be different, she had to approach it differently. He had merely asked a question, a serious question. As he looked at her expectantly awaiting her answer, she knew that what she would say was important to him because he seemed to value her opinion. She mulled the question over before answering.

  “That’s a tricky one. I think that it would depend on the situation. Not telling the truth can mean having a lack of integrity, and that’s no good. Yet, if that truth would hurt someone or ruin a relationship, then I would probably choose love.”

  “And you would let truth take care of itself?”

  “Yes,” Dana echoed. “Let truth take care of itself.”

  ****

  Hardman had barely slept. Even the arrival of a new day, couldn’t quell the feeling of excitement about his encounter with Sinclair Reasoner. He had no belief in a Higher Power so he knew that what had happened wasn’t the result of divine intervention. If there was such a thing as karma, he had no idea why it would have worked so perfectly for him. He could only conclude that it was some of the incredible luck that had followed him throughout his life and he knew he didn’t deserve.

  Good deeds had never been a part of that life. He had accumulated vast wealth illegally and had wielded the power that he had gained with ruthless intent, destroying anyone who got in his way. He had used the fortune that he had amassed to bribe, extort, coerce and even worse. More importantly, his wealth had been used to save his own life, more than once.

  Acquiring aliases had become his specialty. Over the years he had gone by so many names that he wasn’t sure who he really was anymore.

  As an adult, he had lived like a normal human being only once, and that was when he was with Bev. He could truly say that the short time that he had been married to her had been the happiest he had been in his adult life, but their time together had been brief.

  Because of his illicit activities, his life had been threatened and he had been forced to abandon his young wife to save her life and that of their unborn child. It had been the most difficult decision of his life.

  After surgically altering his appearance, he had become someone else—the first time. With his brand new face and a brand new life he had risen to the height of power in the underworld, where he had made enemies. Lady luck had smiled on him again when a trusted employee helped Hardman escape his fate the second time. It was that turn of events that had brought him to the island.

  Now here he was a man, a man who didn’t exist. The lives that he had led would not have made his beloved grandfather proud. Yet he felt a sense of redemption. Despite his unsavory past, there were two human beings in this world who made up for his many improprieties. They were both decent people who were making their marks in the world. He couldn’t be more pleased or proud.

  It was even more satisfying because he was now certain that his initial suspicion about Sinclair had proven to be unfounded. After seeing him today, he still had no idea who his mother might be, but there was absolutely no doubt in his mind who had fathered Sinclair Reasoner.

  CHAPTER 22

  “I took pictures of the place,” Sin informed Nedra as he sat in his office telling her about his trip to the kidnapper’s hideout. “Don’t ask me why...”

  “I know why,” Nedra said wisely. “You need them to keep fueling your anger.

  “No,” he tried to deny. “Starr might need them to…”

  “Starr? James Starr? What has he got to do with this?

  “Nedra...”

  “If he needed pictures why didn’t he go and take them? He doesn’t need you to play amateur detective.”

  “Listen, Nedra…”

  “No! You listen. You need to let this go, Sinclair. Your only concern should be helping us get home so that this family can be together again, not chasing criminals trying to get revenge. I know you, and I know that’s what you’re doing!”

  Sin became defensive. “You don’t understand…”

  “Yes, I do! I understand that you need to use common sense and not street sense to get us home.” Nedra was getting angry. “Just be glad that you’ve got a daughter who was smart enough to outsmart full grown adults and get away! Be grateful for that and leave finding those idiots to the authorities and to James Starr.”

  Sin didn’t answer. Nedra knew that meant he would continue with his stubborn pursuit. She was getting nowhere, so she changed the subject to something more pleasant.

  “How are things between Dana and James? Bev told me that they were hot and heavy in New York.”

  Sin navigated those waters carefully. “I don’t know.”

  He had answered honestly. He hadn’t talked to Dana or James since they got back, and he was grateful that Nedra didn’t pursue the topic. After speaking to his children, he disconnected and got back to work.

  Since his return to the Peninsula, things hadn’t slowed down at his import company. There had been one emergency after another that required his presence at the office and prevented him from getting back to his family.

  He was reviewing some forms that needed his attention when his administrative assistant buzzed him.

  “There’s a Mr. Hardman here to see you.”

  The name drew a blank. “Does he have an appointment?”

  “He says that he met you last night and that he has something for you that you might have missed.”

  That refreshed Sin’s memory. “Send him in.”

  He stood as the man from the road entered his office. Like Sin, he was no longer dressed as casually as last evening. The suit that he wore was finely tailored, the shirt was custom-made and the tie was of fine silk. Today, he looked more like the wealthy CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and he was carrying a neatly wrapped package.

  “Mr. Hardman, how good to see you again.” They shook hands. Sin noticed that the man’s hand was clammy and there was a slight tremor. As he had last night, Sin wondered about his health. “Please, have a seat and if you’ll excuse me a moment, I have to take some papers across the hall. I’ll be right back.”

  “No problem.” Hardman settled in one of the two chairs across from Sinclair’s desk.

  When Sinclair left the room Hardman exhaled. It was unsettling sitting across from an exact replica of his beloved grandfather. It was as though he had come back to life.

  He had never expected to see Sinclair again. After he took care of the man in Salinas, his plan was to leave northern California, and return to L.A. where he would take a flight out of the country and return to his island paradise a happy man.

  His trip to t
he States had garnered him more than he could have ever imagined. He could never have expected more. Yet when he opened the trunk of his rental car this morning and discovered Sinclair’s jacket inside, his glee couldn’t be contained. Fate had provided him with an excuse to see his son again.

  As he sat in Sinclair’s office, Hardman caught his breath at the sight of a cornucopia of family photographs sitting on a side table. Rising, he walked over to them and stared.

  There was a silver framed photo of Sinclair with a brown skinned beauty with amazing light brown eyes. From the way that the two looked at each other it wasn’t difficult to speculate that the woman might be his wife. Another picture showed Sinclair and his wife posed with three beautiful children, two boys and a girl. He didn’t know the boy’s names, but he knew that the girl with the impish grin had to be the infamous Gillian Reasoner. It was apparent that she was no shrinking flower. There were individual photos of each of the children and then the series of photos changed.

  Hardman had to grip the table to remain steady as he gazed at a picture of Bev. He began to tremble as he looked into the eyes of the woman who still remained the love of his life.

  Bev—even today her name sent tremors of desire through his body. He remembered her telling him that no one ever called her Beverly and he had fallen for her the moment that they met. Never had he loved one human being so completely, and she was as lovely in this photo as she had been when they were both young and had been each other’s world.

  He studied her face like an artist would a rare painting. He had read that she had remarried. He couldn’t recall the man’s name, but he was glad that she had gone on with her life.

  Happiness and joy were the only things that he had ever wanted for her. She had been the only woman in his life who had given him both.