Saving Madeline

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “Kiss me,” she said in a soft voice, not even loud enough to be called a whisper.

  That was his undoing. He didn’t know how or why, but somewhere along the line he’d fallen in love with her, and kissing her had suddenly become as necessary as breathing. He kissed her deeply, relishing the feel of her in his arms. Every emotion felt new and more powerful than he’d ever experienced.

  Yet there was so much separating them, especially the fact that she’d come to convince him to stay. More than anything, he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay and see where these emotions would take them in the next days and months and years. Knowing the impossibility of this desire was every bit as painful as the joy of kissing her now.

  “Excuse me?” A male voice came from the doorway of the apartment.

  Both he and Caitlin froze as a short, stocky man with a full beard came the rest of the way into the room, pocketing keys he’d apparently used to open the door. In one hand he carried a large paper grocery bag. His brown eyes surveyed them.

  “You must be Bob,” Parker said, slowly moving away from Caitlin.

  “And you must be my new roommate.”

  “Parker Hathaway.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Bob offered Parker his hand. “Can I speak to you in the kitchen a minute?”

  Parker glanced at Caitlin, whose pale skin was slightly flushed. “Uh, yeah.” Hopefully Bob was the relatively normal guy he appeared to be and not recently released from prison. “I’ll just be a minute,” Parker said to Caitlin.

  Bob led him to small kitchen where he began unpacking the paper grocery bag. “Uh, we need to have some ground rules about having women over.”

  The guy had to be kidding. “It wasn’t like we were . . . she just came to see me before I left.”

  “You’re moving out already?”

  “Yeah, something came up, so I’m heading out of town.” Parker thought he should shut up now. No doubt the police would be interviewing good old Bob after he disappeared. “Mexico,” he added to confuse potential investigators.

  “She’s classy. Where’d you pick her up?”

  “I didn’t pick her up. She’s my law—we’ve been working together on something. What you saw when you walked in sort of took us by surprise.”

  “I don’t know why. It’s a wonder the room wasn’t in flames with all the sparks between you. I’d been standing there for quite some time before you noticed me.”

  Parker watched an ant march across the countertop. Bob certainly had a point. There was a connection between him and Caitlin, and it was just as well the man had come in when he had. Parker had to remember to be more careful. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Caitlin—and that meant he needed to keep her at arm’s length.

  Bob wrote his name on a jar of mayonnaise and shut the refrigerator. He yawned. “Well, if you’re moving out, I guess we don’t need to talk. I’ve worked forty hours in the past three days and I’m beat. I’m going to sit down on the couch and watch a bit of TV. You two are welcome to join me if you want.” He looked so smug that Parker wanted to bash his face.

  “Uh, no thanks.” Even if he were staying in Utah, his idea of a good evening wouldn’t be staring at a TV with Bob. No, he would rather be alone with Caitlin, with a promise of many more days to come.

  Except that they didn’t have more days. Or even this one. Now that his mind had cleared, Parker had begun worrying again about Madeline. Was she safe? Dakota had obviously been partying when he’d called.

  “Nice to meet you, Bob.” Parker nodded and returned to the main room where Caitlin was standing by the couch. He pulled her into his arms and traced the freckles on her face with his fingertip, stopping on her bottom lip. So much for arm’s length.

  She kissed his finger before saying, “Let’s go to my place. I’ll cook dinner.”

  He kissed her again, long and deep, loving the way her eyes closed. “You’re so beautiful, Caity.” He took her hand, their fingers intertwining. “You go ahead. I’ll deal with my suitcases and be right there. But don’t worry about dinner. I’ll take you out somewhere nice.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. Her eyes went beyond him, and Parker knew Bob had come into the room.

  He walked Caitlin out into the hall, pulling her to him again and holding her far too long.

  Then he did the only thing he could do. He gave her a final kiss, stepped back, and let her go.

  He waited exactly three minutes before hefting his suitcases and taking them down to the car he’d hidden down the block. Caitlin’s car was nowhere to be seen, and he was both grateful and disappointed. He forced himself to start the ignition and drive not to Caitlin’s house but in the opposite direction.

  Because there was Madeline. There would always be Madeline, and even if it meant closing a door, walking out on Caitlin, there was no other choice. He wouldn’t ask her to share a life on the run. He wouldn’t come to her empty-handed. Though every nerve in his body protested the separation, he set his jaw in determination. He was the only one who could protect Madeline.

  He drove past the house he’d rented for Dakota. The place was dark, as he hoped it would be. Walking stealthily, Parker made his way to the window. In the next few minutes, he would end up in jail or on his way to Vegas with Madeline. He threw the tiny rock at the window. Would she be awake? Would she look out or run to her mother in terror? It was already dark but not yet ten o’clock, so she might not be in bed.

  A face appeared in the window. Fear pounded through him, but it was only Madeline. The window opened. “Daddy?”

  “Shhh.”

  Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Did you come to get me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wait. I have a chair. I got it from the kitchen. I have to put it on my bed.”

  She vanished but reappeared within seconds, tall enough to climb onto the windowsill. There was no screen, so soon she was in his arms, and he was folding her under his coat. “What about Reese?” she asked as he reached up to shut the window.

  “He’ll be all right.”

  “But he was sick tonight. We were over at Lyn’s for dinner, and he was crying. He threw up.”

  “Is he sleeping?”

  “Yes.”

  “I bet he’ll be better in the morning.”

  They made it to the car without being seen. At least he hoped. Now if everything went well, he might have as many as fourteen hours to put space between them and Salt Lake City before the alarms went off.

  “Where’s the truck?” Madeline asked.

  “I traded it for this.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, partly because it gets better gas mileage. You and I are going on a long trip.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “Goody! I love trips.”

  Parker tried to enjoy her enthusiasm, but his mind kept returning to Caitlin. What would she think of him when she realized he wasn’t coming? Would she feel used and betrayed, or had he just barely salvaged a chance to be with her after all this was over?

  If it was ever over.

  There was also the strong possibility that Caitlin would realize what he had done before he was safely away and call Sally. Parker stepped harder on the gas pedal. The more miles between him and Salt Lake City, the better.

  Chapter 20

  Every part of Caitlin’s body felt alive. Her senses were acute. She noticed the homemade wooden turkey sitting on a neighbor’s front porch, the way the melting snow sparkled in her headlights, how the stars seemed bright and the night darker. Each of her heartbeats was an individual thing, like a beat on a drum that was so big it filled the entire world.

  That didn’t stop the worry from setting in as she pulled into her garage. Was she doing the right thing by convincing Parker to stay? There was no pretense that he was attracted to her, but beyond that she really knew nothing. And the suitcases. He’d been going to leave.

  Well, what of it? She’d do the same thing herself, wouldn’t she?

  He had to trust her
a bit longer. She would find the information. She’d go over to Dakota’s every day to check on Madeline, if that’s what it took.

  And if he still left?

  She climbed from the car, slamming the door a little too hard. She wasn’t going to dwell on that thought. No, she was going inside, freshen her makeup, fix her hair.

  Bong! went another beat of her heart.

  Sometime later, when the house smelled thoroughly of baked sugar cookies, her favorite candle aroma, she began to worry. Where was Parker? Even if his roommate had insisted on talking some more, he should have been here by now.

  The headiness of the air made her feel almost drunk. Walking to her bedroom, she looked in her closet for something better to wear, but the red dress was the best she had.

  To think that she’d been going to wear it on a date with Mace. A sick feeling churned in her stomach. How could she have been so very wrong about him?

  Don’t think about Mace, she ordered herself.

  Her thoughts returned easily to Parker, to the way he’d looked at her, the huskiness in his voice when he’d said she was beautiful, the connection she felt at his touch.

  She sat down on the sofa and flipped on the TV. There was nothing interesting on, not that she could have paid attention anyway. Her nerves hummed, and every sense seemed tuned to waiting. Waiting for the sound of his truck. Impatient, she went into the kitchen for a glass of water, taking it back to the couch. The glass clinked on the coffee table, making a sound that brought back memories of family holidays, her first boyfriend, outings with Sally.

  Yawning, she pulled a blanket over her, the red dress too thin to offer much protection against the increasing night cold. Worry began gnawing in her belly. Was she doing the right thing going out with Parker?

  He’d leave. She was sure of it.

  No, she could get him to trust her. There was something between them. Something powerful. He would stay.

  She closed her eyes and saw herself wrapped in Parker’s arms on a warm, sandy beach, Amy and Madeline playing together nearby. She stretched slowly, languorously, her body soaking up the sun and Parker’s nearness.

  A rush of wetness caused her eyes to blink open, and she was startled to realize that she’d been sleeping. Her glass lay empty on her lap, a dark stain marking where the last bit of the water had run out, soaking her leg underneath the blanket. Her mouth felt like peach fuzz and tasted considerably worse.

  Her eyes went to the clock, and for a moment she stared at it, unable to comprehend. It was after two. That she’d fallen asleep while waiting for Parker didn’t concern her—she was always so exhausted that at any moment of inaction her body threatened to shut down—but that he wasn’t there did worry her. Had he come while she was asleep?

  No, she would have heard the door.

  Then she knew, without really knowing how, that he was gone. That last moment in the hall, when he’d clung to her, had been a good-bye. Not a proper one, in her view.

  I’m such an idiot. He’d gone without explanation. He’d left her here waiting. How he must have laughed at the idea of her waiting for him to come. Blood flooded to her face. She tried to work up anger or indifference, but she was too wounded to feel either. Tears wet her face as she hugged her arms to her stomach.

  After the initial hurt faded, she told herself she needed to get up and call Sally. She had to let her know he was running. There was the slimmest chance that he was still in Utah, but Caitlin would bet her whole career that he wasn’t.

  Not that she cared in the least about her career.

  She’d been such a fool. She’d thought she could convince him to stay, to trust in her. But in the end he hadn’t believed in her abilities.

  And maybe he was right.

  She pulled the blanket around her and let the tears—and sleep—come.

  • • •

  An insistent buzzing flitted around Caitlin’s head, waking her from a cold and uncomfortable dream. She blinked, looking around. She was lying curled up on her couch under a single blanket. She could hear the heat on, which meant it was morning, though still early by the dim light she saw through the blinds.

  She came to an unsteady seated position, her head weighted by a dullness that she knew had come from too little sleep. The buzzing came again, and she traced it to the cell phone on the side table where she’d put it the night before. The thought that it might be Parker made her grab for it. “Hello?”

  “Finally!” It was Sally. “Where have you been? I put the girls to bed last night when you didn’t come to get Amy.”

  Amy. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I completely forgot.”

  “That must have been one long date.”

  Caitlin flushed, not even wanting to consider what Sally would say if she knew how Caitlin had ended up alone. “Yeah, sort of.”

  “Caitlin? Are you okay? You sound funny.”

  “Nothing. Now stop yelling in my ear. Look, there’s something I have to tell you. It’s important.”

  “Is this about Parker?”

  Caitlin’s heart plunged to her stomach, and she wished she could go back to sleep and forget everything that had happened this week. “Sally, I think we might have been wrong about him.”

  “He’s gone, isn’t he?”

  “Yes.” The word came out a strangled whisper.

  “I’m sorry.” Then Sally’s voice became crisp and businesslike. “I’ll put out the word. We’ll find him.”

  Caitlin sank to the bed. “You should go to Madeline’s first. I might be wrong.” Yet she knew she wasn’t.

  “I’ll call her mother.”

  “Let me know.”

  “I will.”

  The phone went dead, and Caitlin let it slip to her lap. She’d done her best to convince him to stay, to trust in her, but in the end everything between them had been false. To tell the truth, she wasn’t sure she even believed him anymore. When the police caught up with Parker this time, he’d go to jail for certain, and Caitlin wouldn’t represent him. No way. She didn’t even want to see him again. Ever.

  She put on her coat and checked her pockets for her keys, then drove to Sally’s in a haze. When she came inside, Amy managed to tear her eyes from the Saturday morning cartoons long enough to give her a hug. “I didn’t have any pajamas,” she said. “So Sally let me use her pants. And this is Tony’s shirt.” The blue material dwarfed even Amy, drooping on her tall frame, but she spun around as though modeling the most beautiful dress.

  Sally hid her smile as Amy plopped again onto the couch, already absorbed with the cartoons. “No answer at Madeline’s house. Her mother isn’t picking up her phone.”

  Caitlin checked her watch. Nine-thirty already. “She’s probably still sleeping.”

  “I called the precinct. I was reminded that there has been no crime committed yet, but I sent a uniform over anyway.”

  “He’s gone,” Caitlin said with surety.

  “How do you know?”

  Caitlin lowered her voice, though Amy and Sally’s daughter were oblivious to anything but the TV. “I saw him at his place last night. I went home when his roommate showed up, but he was going to come and get me. To go out.”

  “Did something happen at his apartment?” Sally looked pointedly at her rumpled dress.

  Caitlin pulled her coat tighter around her, knowing her face was a bright red. “Nothing happened. He kissed me, that’s all. Look, I don’t want to talk about it. He’s just gone.”

  “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” Sally hugged her.

  For a suffocating moment Caitlin couldn’t swallow the lump in her throat. “Please, I need to go home.” She made her voice louder. “Come on, Amy. We have to go.”

  Sally watched them leave, her eyes glittering with curiosity. “Go find Madeline!” Caitlin wanted to yell at her, but she knew Sally was already doing everything in her power. In minutes, Madeline’s disappearance would be all over the news.

  But it was already too late.

  “Is somethin
g wrong?” Amy asked. “You look mad.”

  “I’m just a little sad.” More like desperately and horribly sad. Why had she allowed herself to be so caught up by him? It had felt almost as though he was a puzzle piece that fit the missing part of her. She closed her eyes for a moment, willing the hurt to leave. Everything would be okay. She would go on. She always went on. Besides, Amy needed her.

  Sally was already calling her cell phone as Caitlin pulled into her driveway. “You’re right,” she said. “Madeline’s gone. There’s a chair on her bed, and the window latch wasn’t engaged, like it’d been shut from the outside. No fingerprints yet, except Madeline’s. Whoever she’s with, she seemed to have gone willingly.”

  “Parker.”

  “Probably. The officers tell me Dakota’s raging mad.”

  “Did she let them in right away?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “Nothing. It’s the same as before. Clean. I’ve got officers looking for fingerprints now.”

  “And Parker?”

  “He hasn’t shown up at his apartment. The landlady said he only paid a week in advance.”

  “What about his mother?”

  Sally heaved a sigh. “Parker gave her his truck, and she’s selling it to a neighbor. Rumor has it she’s selling the house, too, though there’s no sign up.”

  “So she knew he was going.”

  “I think so. But that only means she might be the one who’ll lead us to him. We’re getting a warrant to flag her accounts now, in case he’s using her credit cards.”

  That sounded logical, but it made Caitlin feel even worse. The woman was probably as duped by her son as Caitlin had been. “How could I have been so wrong?” She didn’t realize the words were out until Sally responded.

  “I’m the one who asked you to represent him. He fooled me, too.”

  Sally, of course, didn’t know the whole of it—that Caitlin had liked him so much that nothing else seemed to matter at the time.

  Stupid.

  “We’ll find him.” Sally’s voice was grim.

  “He’s not going to hurt her.”

  “Who’s to say? If he’s actually been dreaming up everything about the drugs, what might he dream up next?”