Claire Gulliver #06 - Carnage Goes Coastal

by Gayle Wigglesworth

  When she emerged from the terminal, there stood Charlie Watts, a smile on his face and a big Lincoln Towncar sitting at the curb behind him.

  “Welcome to Washington, Miss Gulliver. Pardon me, it’s Mrs. Rallins now, isn’t it? Well, it’s about time you came back for a visit.”

  She threw her arms about his neck and gave him a big hug. “Charlie, this is so nice of you. I told MiMi I didn’t need any fuss. I could have taken a cab.”

  “No, you couldn’t have. First of all it would have cost you a fortune to go all the way to the house, and second, no one was going to let you wander around Washington by yourself after what happened the last time you were here. I am glad to come get you. It’s my job, after all.”

  He looked around before asking with surprise, “Is this all your luggage?” When she nodded he picked it up and put it in the trunk and then opened the door and helped her into the backseat. “You just make yourself comfortable and we’ll be there before you know it.”

  The Lickmans didn’t live in Washington D.C., rather in a fine old house on an inlet off Chesapeake Bay. Still it was a reasonable commute, especially when Charlie Watts was available with the car.

  The Lickmans were important people in this area. They knew everyone in D.C., more importantly, everyone knew them. That’s why Claire was certain they could get her access to Scott Ellington. And, she knew they would be delighted for a chance to pay her back for her role in saving David Lickman’s life all those years ago when she was visiting them just before the Nine-Eleven disaster.

  Last night after talking to Karen, Claire had spent the rest of the night preparing for her trip to Washington. She carefully assembled the information she wanted to use in her confrontation with Scott. She had thoughtfully packed a small suitcase. She made a list of the people she needed to contact the next day and the tasks that needed to be completed to ensure the shop was covered and the animals taken care of while she was gone.

  When she finished everything, it didn’t seem advisable to go to bed for the few hours left of the night, so she had sat in a comfortable chair in the living room, thinking about what she wanted to accomplish. She knew once she was on the plane she could sleep away the hours it would take to get to Washington, and that’s what happened.

  The Lickmans, when she called, insisted she stay with them. MiMi told her to bring at least one formal gown as they were scheduled for several events in the next week and would want Claire to accompany them. And she promised by the time Claire got there, they would have already figured out how to get Claire and Scott together in the same room for a personal meeting.

  As the big car rolled over the bridge Claire tapped on the glass partition so Charlie opened it. Now Claire questioned Charlie about all the people she had met at her previous stay at the Lickmans. She asked eagerly about Mrs. Kramer, the housekeeper, Marilou, who controlled the kitchen and Percy Imamura, who oversaw the work in the gardens. By the time those subjects were exhausted they were pulling up to the portico at the front of the house. The door opened immediately and the two Lickmans were heading for the car. Claire didn’t wait for Charlie to open the door, she jumped out and hugged them, all of them laughing and talking at once.

  “Come in. Come in. We’re so glad to see you, my dear. It’s been far too long.” MiMi, her arm still around Claire guided her toward the big door.

  David managed to dart ahead to hold the door for them. “Let’s go into the library and talk a minute. We want to hear all about your life. Somehow emails and letters just aren’t enough.”

  MiMi turned back to tell Charlie, “I’ve put Claire in the Rose Room, Charlie, just like the last time.” Then she turned her attention back to her guest. “We were so thrilled about your marriage, Claire, and surprised, too. Although I told David, when you were here, I thought there was a special connection between you and Jack. But it seemed there was a whole world separating the two of you.”

  When they entered the library, MiMi’s dog, Tuffy, appeared. He obviously remembered Claire, dancing around her feet to show his delight. She bent down to pat him. “Good boy. How are you, Tuffy?”

  She nodded at David’s offer of white wine and took a seat near MiMi’s favorite chair. “Can you believe Tuffy still remembers me? It’s been almost seven years, but he seems the same.”

  “Well, not quite. He’s getting older as we all are. He’s not quite as mischievous as he was and he seems a little hard of hearing. But he’s still our baby, aren’t you, Tuffy?”

  The dog settled by her chair and promptly rested his chin on one of her feet. David handed MiMi a glass of some amber liquid and Claire a glass of wine before sitting in his favorite chair. “So Claire, where is Jack? Why isn’t he with you? I would think this kind of mission is right up his alley.”

  Claire explained about the Ranger survival mission and then proceeded to tell about how she met Karen four years ago.

  “So, as you can see, this is the first chance we’ve had to resolve this mess and ensure Karen’s and the baby’s safety. I had to take immediate action. I couldn’t wait for Jack to come back and really, he wouldn’t want me to. He would expect me to do whatever was necessary to resolve this situation. We want Karen and little Jack back in our lives. But most important, we want them to be safe.”

  “Oh, you poor dear. What an awful situation. I can’t believe that Scott Ellington would behave so unconscionably. He must be stopped.”

  “Well, I can’t prove he did this. But, I think there is a pretty good chance either he or someone close to him, is responsible. And I’m betting he can stop it.”

  David just shook his head sadly. “My money is on you, Claire. We certainly know first hand how astute you are. If you think he did it, then I’m willing to bet he did.

  “Now, Claire dear, we think we have the perfect plan. We were invited to a big reception for the party tomorrow night in town. We had originally declined because frankly there are so many of these affairs we just get tired of them. But after you called this morning I did a little sleuthing and determined that Scott and his wife will be there.” She smiled at Claire. “So I reversed our R.S.V.P. and told them we would be attending and we were bringing a guest.”

  Claire looked at her open-mouthed. “They didn’t mind?”

  “Of course not. They’re always hoping we’ll come and bring our checkbook with us.” She giggled. “You’d be surprised how our money inspires people to welcome us at so many affairs. It certainly keeps us grounded.”

  David nodded. “They would probably prefer we stay home and just send a check, but they know that’s not going to happen. However, in a few more years we may start to do that rather than spending all those hours trying to look interested while people pitch their causes.”

  “Anyway,” MiMi continued, “we’ll get dressed up and attend, and David will scout out somewhere private where you and he can wait, and then I’ll capture your Mr. Ellington and bring him to you.”

  “Just like that? Will he come?” It sounded so simple Claire couldn’t believe that was all there was to it.

  “Oh, my dear. You’ll see. When MiMi tells him she has someone to talk to him, which will affect his future, he’ll be panting to follow her. It will definitely work.”

  Either the wine or the plan was having a soothing effect on Claire. She was feeling very relaxed, so when MiMi suggested it was bedtime she was happy to head upstairs to the beautiful Rose room where she had stayed the last time.

  “Get up when you wake up, dear, tomorrow can be a lazy day. And thank you so much for coming to us. We’re so glad to see you again. You make us feel young and useful, don’t you see?”

  CHAPTER 42

  Kay sat in her office struggling to stay awake. Now that the danger was over and her adrenalin rush had passed, she felt like a wet dish rag. And she was all too aware that morning would be arriving as usual in a few hours. And when morning came Jamie would expect her to be just like she was every day.

  She could hear the policemen
who were still in the house. She had looked up when the paramedics wheeled the stretcher down the hall, admitting she might have hit that guy on the head a little harder than she thought, but she felt no remorse. She knew if she hadn’t woken up in time it would have been her going out on a stretcher and most likely wrapped in a body bag. And she couldn’t even think about what would have happened to Jamie? A shudder swept through her.

  “Had a little excitement here, did you?” Chuck came in Kay’s office and sat down, casually reaching over to pat her shoulder. “You okay?”

  Kay was embarrassed by the tears suddenly seeping from her eyes. Still she nodded her head even as she raised her hand to wipe the moisture away. “Did you see him? They just took him out.”

  “I saw him. Anyone you recognize?”

  She shook her head. “I heard something and then I could hear Harley growling in Jamie’s bedroom. I didn’t even question it. I just raced over and got my gun. I had no sooner positioned myself near the wall behind the door when he popped in the room and fired two shots into the pile of bed covers I had left behind. Then the warning signal from the alarm turned into a loud wail which was all I needed to spur me into action. I executed a karate chop on his extended arm. The chop was perfect. It would have done major damage even if I hadn’t been holding the pistol in my hand. I heard the bone in his arm snap, no wonder he screamed. But I didn’t even pause. You should have seen me. I just spun around and laid the barrel alongside his head. He dropped instantly as if he was dead. I kicked his gun away and called the cops.” Kay couldn’t keep the hint of pride out of her voice. She had trained for just this situation. She had been ready.

  Chuck just sat there calmly, nodding his head.

  “I was certain there would be more of them. I asked the police to search the area, but they didn’t find anything suspicious. I guess lots of the neighbors turned out. It must be a circus out there with the police cars, the ambulance and then my alarm making all that noise. They said they found his rental car parked around the block.” She looked at Chuck with big eyes.

  “I knew someday they would come, but I still almost died from fright.”

  He reached over and patted her shoulder again. “You did good kid.”

  She shook her head. She felt like a kid, a naughty kid. And she needed to confess her sins and get it over with.

  “I breached security, Chuck. You warned me and warned me and I thought I could handle anything, but last night I got so excited I called my dad. That’s how they found me!”

  “You better tell me what happened. Don’t leave anything out.” Chuck’s face didn’t change, but she could see the disappointment in his eyes. So she told him everything; how she recognized Scott on television at Mulrooney’s, how she hurried back home and did research on her computer. She showed him the printed picture of Scott where she had drawn in a beard and mustache to make sure he was the same man she knew as Scott Hutchins.

  She confessed she had gotten so excited about the possibility of solving the mystery of who was behind the attempts on her life she forgot all her training, all his warnings. She called her father because she knew he would know how to proceed. She knew once her dad knew who was responsible he would make it all better.

  Unfortunately, he wasn’t available.

  Kay then explained about his wife, Claire Gulliver, and how she had actually rescued her when she first fled from New York. She was the one who diverted the attention of the men following Kay from the L.A. Airport and then spirited her away while her pursuers followed that other van. And subsequently, she was the one who saved her and Jamie when those assassins showed up at her house in Bayside, looking for Kay.

  Claire had actually killed one of them to protect Karen and baby Jack.

  And tonight when she found her dad wasn’t available she turned to Claire for help. They had talked through the situation. Claire had helped her come up with a plan to resolve her situation. Claire was on her way to Washington D.C. with the intention of confronting Scott. She was going to apprise Scott of the enormous risk he would be facing if anything happened to Kay and Jamie.

  Chuck nodded, seeming to understand their plan.

  Kay leaned forward grabbing Chuck’s hand as if that would make him hear her better. “I know this was my fault. I let them find me by breaking security. But I just don’t understand how that guy had the time to trace my call and then get here so soon after I hung up. I mean, was he here in town just waiting for me to break security?”

  “A better question might be, when were you going to call me?” His question had a slightly sardonic tone.

  Kay let go of his hand, sitting back in her chair as if she had been slapped. She knew she had really screwed this up. “I really was going to call you today and tell you everything. I was going to call you the first thing I did when I got up. Claire told me I breached security. That really shocked me because I realized I should have called you first. After all, I’m the one who knows how much you have done for me. You’ve kept me safe all this time. There’s no doubt the danger was still there, just waiting for a chance to get at me. But by that time I had already done the damage, so I thought we should go ahead and try to resolve this while we could.”

  Chuck sighed. He looked at her intently, a sad look on his face. Kay felt really bad. She knew he was disappointed.

  “Well, it’s not like you are the first person I was guarding who blew the whole program. I’ll just have to see what I can do to fix it. Meanwhile, just sit here while I talk to the policemen.”

  Kay nodded, and offered one last tidbit. “The policeman in charge is a Detective named Steve. He knows me. He’s in my karate class and he was one of the ones at Mulrooney’s earlier tonight when I saw Scott on the television. He is leading the investigation so I told him I was on the Witness Protection Program, but nothing else.” She held up two fingers. “Scouts’ honor.”

  So Kay waited. She wasn’t feeling quite so exhausted now. Perhaps telling the story gave her a second wind or maybe the confession perked her up. She didn’t know what Chuck was going to do, but somehow she felt he would come up with something. Meanwhile, she organized her mind around the tasks she still had to complete to put together the packages she intended to mail out as soon as the day got started. And she wondered what Claire was doing.

  When Chuck finally returned, he stunned her with his announcement. “You’ll have to gather up some clothes and your personal things, you and Jamie will be moving this afternoon. Meanwhile, your friend, Steve, is going to assign two patrolmen to guard the house. A repairman will be here soon to fix the back door and I’ll be back here about two o’clock to move you out.”

  He looked at her gaping face, and said sternly, “And do not, I repeat, do not contact anyone. Do not tell anyone you’re leaving or attempt to get in touch with your stepmother.”

  She nodded her head mutely then muttered, “My work...?”

  “Pack up the computer and your files, we’ll take them. You can work from your next place.”

  “But, the documents I need to send out...?”

  “Not necessary. I’ll take the package and headquarters will monitor it. It will have the same impact as you sending it to several places. When I get you settled and safe I’ll contact the FBI and discuss the situation with them.”

  He turned to leave and then paused. “Maybe you should tell Jamie you’re all going on vacation for a little while. That will alleviate any stress this sudden move might cause him. And of course, Harley is going to have to go with you.”

  CHAPTER 43

  Claire followed behind David and MiMi Lickman feeling totally intimidated by the grandeur of this affair. There were hundreds of people, dressed beautifully, and having a wonderful time. It seemed every few feet they moved through the crowd someone stopped the Lickmans to greet them, and then of course, David or MiMi would introduce her. Many of these people had faces she had seen before in the newspapers, on television, and plastered on the popular magazine covers. And whil
e each of them smiled politely when they met her, none of them was the least interested in her. She was certainly grateful MiMi had told her to bring a long gown, so at least she felt she was dressed appropriately.

  They were just circulating now, seeing who was here and making their presence known. Claire was holding a glass of white wine even though she hardly ever remembered to sip it. So far none of the trays of hors d’oeuvres being circulated through the crowd even tempted her. She was so nervous she didn’t think she would be able to swallow anything, and she didn’t want to have both hands filled as she wandered around.

  They had been there for more than an hour before MiMi finally spotted Scott Ellington on the far side of the room talking with a group of people. She stopped and looked at David. “You two go on your way now. I’ll bring him in as soon as possible.” She nodded at Claire and then drifted closer to their target.

  David took Claire’s arm and skillfully guided her through the crowd. He held a side door open for her to slip through and then led her down the hall to an elevator. They took it up to the fourth floor of the hotel and down the hall to a beautiful suite.

  “I think this will do, don’t you?”

  Claire nodded. “It looks very expensive, but I imagine we won’t be interrupted here, will we?”

  “Could I refresh your drink?” he asked.

  “No, this is fine.” She sat down in one of the chairs trying to relax, thinking about what she wanted to accomplish. She took some papers out of her evening purse and set both the papers and the purse down on a table beside her chair. And she waited. She admitted to herself she was terrified of confronting this man. Her hands were clammy and shaking and she was having a hard time remembering just what it was she was going to say. David turned on some soft music because the silence was too distracting. Finally they heard someone at the door and both turned their heads as MiMi led Scott Ellington into the suite.