“And could you try telling us the truth this time?” Sin snarled.
Taking the photo from her, Hardman’s face softened as he gazed at it.
“He’s a good looking man.” Hardman shot a glance at Nedra. “I bet the women love him.”
“No doubt.” But she wasn’t sure if he was referring to Joe or to her husband.
Taking a seat next to Nedra, Sin fixed the older man with a venomous stare. His wife might be diplomatic, but he wasn’t.
“Listen, man, I’m hot and as tired as hell. I don’t feel like indulging in bullshit! We’ve come a long way because of that picture. My wife thinks that it may hold the answers to a lot of questions. So, let’s just cut the crap!” Withdrawing his wallet, he removed the newspaper article containing the picture of Moody Lake and tossed it on the table. “Is this or is this not you?” He pointed to the picture of the former CEO of Stark Enterprises.
With barely a glance at the paper, Hardman shifted his attention back to the photo of Joe. Nedra sensed that the photo meant a lot to him.
“That’s the only picture you have of Joe, isn’t it?” She prodded. “Who is he? Your father? Your brother?”
Glowering, Sin sat with his arms tightly folded. “My wife asked you a question.”
Hardman raised his eyes to study him for a moment, took a long, steady breath, and then proceeded to ignore the question, posing one of his own.
“How long are you staying on the island?”
“You didn’t answer her,” Sin snarled.
“We’re not going to leave this island until we get some answers,” Nedra told Hardman evenly.
What they had to say didn’t seem to faze him. “Where are you staying while you’re here?”
Frustrated, Sin made a move to leap from the sofa and confront him, but Nedra held him back. She answered Hardman calmly.
“We’ll be in one of the cabanas on the beach.”
Hardman glimpsed at the photo of Joe again before addressing her. What he said next shocked both her and Sin.
“Those cabanas aren’t the most comfortable accommodations. I’ve got an extra bedroom here that I use as an office, but it has a sofa bed. I’d like to invite the two of you to be my guests during your stay here.”
Sin cackled sarcastically. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
Nedra stood, ready to leave before Sin really went off on Hardman. “Thank you for the kind offer, sir, but we’ve already paid for our accommodations.”
She extended her hand to bid him farewell. Standing, Hardman took both of her hands in his.
“You’re very gracious, Mrs. Reasoner.” He gifted her with a smile.
Nedra walked to the front door. Sin followed, without a word or a look back. Hardman trailed behind them. Before stepping outside, Nedra turned to him.
“Rest assured, we will be back tomorrow for some answers.”
****
As Hardman stood watching the Reasoners leave, his heartbeat gradually returned to normal. It had been beating out of control since he opened his front door and saw the couple standing there. Maintaining his composure had been difficult. The couple’s presence on the island was totally unexpected. He had been certain that word of his death would stop any notion they might have had about pursuing further information about him. Obviously, he had been wrong. Usually he was a man with a plan, but he had none for this shocking development. They were here, and Nedra Reasoner made it clear that they were here for a purpose, and planned to stay.
He had dealt with a lot in his life—plastic surgery, name changes, fleeing for his life—but nothing in his experience had prepared him for this. Why in the hell had this happened? Why?
With his forehead pressed against the door, Hardman gave a shaky sigh. At least their appearance hadn’t completely scrambled his brain. When he
extended his impulsive invitation for the couple to stay with him there had been some degree of method to his madness. As long as they were under his roof he might have a modicum of control over this situation
that fate had dealt. Right now, all he could do was wait and see what would happen.
CHAPTER 16
“Great! Just Great!” Sin muttered as he and Nedra trudged back to the cabana in the late day sun. “This man just won’t die.”
Nedra nodded in agreement. “He does seem to be a master at resurrection.”
“You think?” Sin shot back.
Nedra came to a stop, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, let me have it. Tell me how this is all my fault that we’re here. Tell me how if I had accepted what Mrs. Ruiz said about Hardman being dead, we could be home right now happy in our ignorance.”
“You said it. I didn’t.” Sin kept walking. The truth was the truth.
Catching up with him, she pulled on his arm, forcing him to stop and face her.
“So are you telling me there’s nothing more about Colton Cameron or his background that you want to know?”
“I told you everything I found out about him when I first did my research and I was satisfied with that. But, what I didn’t tell you was that I suspected the man was dangerous.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“It didn’t matter since he was supposed to be dead.”
“Is there anything else you might want to share with me?
Her husband’s past had resulted in a plethora of contacts who provided him with information not available to just anybody. She wasn’t surprised that he knew more about Colton Cameron’s activities than he revealed previously. This revelation merely confirmed her suspicions.
“I know that people don’t change their names for no reason,” she continued. “And they certainly don’t abandon their families on the pretense of being dead.”
“Well, I have no doubt that the reason for his disappearance was that somebody was after him. That’s why he needed a body in his submerged car that could be identified as him. And there’s no doubt that the dead man that replaced him didn’t die in the accident.” The look he gave her said it all.
Nedra understood what the look meant. “Colton Cameron could be a murderer and he’s not to be trusted.” She couldn’t argue with that.
Hours later Nedra lay awake on the lumpy mattress in their less than luxurious accommodations, listening to the excited voices of children playing a spirited game of soccer. The sound, intermingled with the hypnotic rhythm of the ocean, soothed her as she mentally reviewed the events of the day.
“So, if Hardman was Colton Cameron, he pulled a fast one when he faked that auto accident that had people thinking he was dead,” she said aloud, aware that Sin was awake. “But I wonder what he did as Moody Lake that forced him to hide here on this island?”
“He probably killed somebody else,” Sin said wryly.
Punching the pillow, he tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable spot on the bed. Before they retired, he had closed the door to the cabana, opened the window, inviting the ocean breeze inside, and pulled their beds together, but he still hated the place.
Nedra turned to face his silhouetted form. “Hardman’s not going to admit that he’s Colton Cameron, is he?”
“No, he probably won’t.”
“But he knows who you are, Sinclair. As hard as he tried to hide his emotions, he still looked at you as if you were a walking miracle. He extended that invitation for us to stay at his house because of you.”
“Screw him and screw this island!” Sin sat up on the side of the bed. “I’m miserable here in this hell hole. I’m hot. I’m tired and I want to punch a hole in the wall.”
“That’ll be a different type of air conditioning,” Nedra cracked trying to lighten the mood. Propping her flatten pillow against the wall, she sat up, hugging her legs to her body. “Since he’s out of the hospital, I assume Hardman is cured of whatever was wrong with him, but he still looks sick to me.”
“He’s sick all right,” Sin snarled, falling back on the bed hoping to catch a breeze from any source
at this point. “And I couldn’t care less.”
Nedra wasn’t dissuaded by his attitude. “I have the feeling that he needs to make amends, hon.”
Sin growled in disgust. “Please don’t tell me you’re going into preacher mold and try to redeem the man.”
“I’m not the one who can do the redeeming, but if he needs to talk I’m willing to listen.”
“Awww damn!” Sin covered his eyes with his arm, wanting to block out the thought that his wife was on one of her spiritual crusades.
She could feel his frustration. “Sinclair, the only thing I want from this whole trip is for Hardman to say anything that will help put to rest the demons that haunt you about your past. If that happens, I’ll be a satisfied woman.”
Sin wanted to deny that there were any demons, but they both knew that would be a lie. He knew so little about either of his parents. Much of his life was a blank slate, but he didn’t want Thomas Hardman to fill the void. He didn’t like him. The idea that he might be able to provide answers to unanswered questions didn’t sit well with him. Yet Nedra was a determined woman, and he knew there was only one reasonable way to solve this impasse.
Pushing the mosquito net aside, Sin turned on the lamp. He wanted to see his wife’s face as they spoke.
“I don’t like any of this and I want to go home, but I’ll tell you what. I’m willing to compromise.”
She raised a brow. “How?”
“We stay here two days to see what happens, and no longer.”
Giving his proposal some thought, Nedra figured that her goal could be accomplished in that time frame.
“Sounds reasonable, I guess we can survive sleeping in this hot cabana on these lumpy beds for that long.”
Sin snorted. “Maybe you can, but not me.”
“We can always sleep on the hammocks they have set up on the beach.”
“No way! I’m a city boy, baby. I want a door between me and the rest of the populous, even if it doesn’t lock. Hell! Just having that window open is making me nervous.” He sighed. “Nedra, this roughing it might be an exciting adventure for you, but it’s a lot of reality for me. I lived like this on the streets and I don’t need a reminder. I don’t need concrete floors, or raggedy blankets. I don’t need a lumpy bed or bugs as big as my head using me for target practice.” He swatted at a mosquito. “I want 1,000 thread count sheets. I want air conditioning and room service. I worked hard for those luxuries. I deserve them and so do you. I don’t like you living like this! You’re not used to this kind of thing, and who knows what’s lurking out there?”
“Well, you’ve got your handy dandy screw driver for protection,” she teased. Sin had confessed that he was in possession of his do-it-yourself protection when they were traveling on the bus.
He threw his pillow at her. Nedra ducked and laughed.
“You missed.”
He crawled across the bed. “Move over, I want to cuddle.”
“Are you kidding? It’s too hot.” But she ended up nestled in his arms anyway. Sin slouched against the wall using the pillows to cushion his back.
“This whole thing’s not working for me,” he slurred, barely able to keep his eyes open. “I hate it here.”
“Sorry about that, but I’d sleep in a hallowed out log for you.”
“Why do you have to say things like that?”
Nedra yawned. “What kind of things?”
“Preacher things.”
“Well, I’ve got one more for you. What would you say if I suggest we accept Hardman’s invitation to stay at his place? It’s a little more comfortable.”
Sin grunted. “Hell, no!”
She thought so, but they’d see what tomorrow would bring.
****
Hamilton Richmond had put the job for Russ on hold after getting a call from the cartel. There was a job in Oakland, California that called for his expertise.
He was to take care of some arrogant young distributor who overestimated his importance. His replacement had been picked and was in place before the blood on Ham’s knife was dry. It was one of the easier jobs he’d had in a while, and since it took so little of his time Ham decided to stay in the Bay Area and enjoy San Francisco, but first he had to address old business.
He called Russ to inform him about his lack of progress. When it came to determining the motives of Lamont Madison, he had run into a blank wall.
For a moment there was silence on the other end as Russ unraveled Ham’s coded message. “So you did everything you could to settle the business matter?”
“Everything possible,” Ham replied, noticing a tinge of desperation in Russ’ inquiry.
There was another pause, and then, “Okay. We’ll talk later.”
After disconnecting, Ham wondered what was there further to discuss. He couldn’t find any information in the Madison dude’s files that verified Ham’s suspicion that he might be working with the Feds. Ham still didn’t know the name of the client Madison was working for when he went to see Russ, but he doubted if anybody could pin Moody’s death on his former boss.
Moody was long gone. He doubted if anybody even remembered him, even though he had been a major player in the cartel. There was no way that the cops or anybody else was looking for his executioner, especially when they didn’t know there was one.
Officially, Charles “Moody” Lake drowned in a boating accident in Hawaii. There were only three people present when he actually died in California. The henchman who accompanied him and Russ that day died of natural causes years ago. He and Russ were the only ones left. Surely, Russ didn’t think that he would ever snitch. If Ham talked he could go down with Russ.
According to Russ, no one had been back to the prison to question him further, so Ham wondered why sweat it? As far as he was concerned, the matter was closed.
CHAPTER 17
After a restless night, Nedra and Sin awoke the next morning as exhausted as they had been the evening before. Unable to get adequate cell phone reception on the island, they took a long trip to another village where they had been told it would be easier to call home. They called their children to see how they were doing and then called Nedra’s mother and Nedra’s best friend, Carla, presenting them with a cover story about their spur of the moment Mexico “vacation”. The last call they made was to Ray. They didn’t tell him that Hardman was alive. They had agreed there was no reason to heighten his anxiety.
“I’m trying to understand why this trip is so necessary,” Ray responded.
“We need to find answers to questions that desperately need answers,” Nedra told him, “and we’re going to get them.”
Ray gripped his cell phone. There was no reasoning with this woman. Maybe a more reasonable head would prevail. “Can I talk to Sinclair?”
Sin knew why he was being summoned. “Man, I know what you’re going to say, but there’s no talking her out of it. She’s determined to stay here.” And save me, he thought.
Sin didn’t doubt that in doing so she’d try to do the same for Hardman. He still looked sick and knowing his wife, she would probably try to save his body as well as his soul. Who knew, if luck prevailed Hardman might kick the bucket while they were here.
On the other end Ray was upset, but the couple was in Mexico and there was nothing to be done about it. “So, you two found the house he lived in and you’ll be meeting Mrs. Ruiz soon with the hope that some valuable information about your life will come out of this. Right?”
“That’s Nedra’s plan.”
“Okay, then if that happens, maybe the trip will be worth it. Other than that the whole thing sounds like a pain in the ass to me.”
Sin agreed with that assessment. “I don’t know where this is going, but as long as she stays, I stay. The deadline we’ve agreed on is two days. After that we’re heading home.”
“Well, my friend, I hope you’ll gain something from this, but I can’t help but wonder if this will ever end. And how?”
Sin wondered the s
ame thing.
****
A knock on his front door summoned Thomas Hardman later that morning. When he answered it he was as surprised as he had been yesterday by the couple standing on his doorstep. Not only were they carrying luggage, but groceries.
Nedra flashed her sweetest smile. “We hope the invitation to stay here is still open. We’re being eaten alive by mosquitoes and cooked to a crisp by the heat in that cabana. Today we went to a nearby village to see if we could find another place to stay, but no luck, so—”. She shrugged.
“We’re not here to beg for anything,” Sin added quickly, taking his wallet out of his pocket. “I’ll pay you for the room.” Withdrawing a couple of large bills, he held them out to Hardman.
“We even brought groceries.” Nedra indicated their contribution.
Hardman looked amused by the gesture. “You didn’t have to do that. I’ve got plenty of food.”
“You won’t have it long if three of us are staying here.” She smiled. “We want to be house guest not moochers.”
Hardman opened the door wider and stepped aside. “You both are more than welcomed to stay here, and I’m not going to charge you a dime.”
The grin on Nedra’s face couldn’t get any bigger. “Thank you, Mr. Hardman. Believe me, we’re grateful.” For the second time in 24 hours, Nedra entered his home.
“And I am paying you,” Sin assured him as he followed his wife inside.
He still didn’t want to be here, but he felt that his back was against the wall. When their alternative plan for accommodations fell through, she threatened to go to Hardman’s house without him, knowing that wasn’t going to happen. Of course he agreed to come, complaining all the way.
“I don’t trust him,” he had stated flatly.
“Are you going to keep being rude to the man?” Nedra wanted to know. “Your attitude is embarrassing, and it’ll be doubly so if we’re going to be guest in his home.”
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