The sun climbed high in the sky, doing its best to overpower the air-conditioning in the little car as they traveled over the mountain. Valeri concentrated on keeping an eye out for the black sedans, now and then distracted by more vague snatches of memory.
She must have kept in close touch with Alex over the past six years. She seemed to remember opening gifts with him under a Christmas tree, even playing volleyball with him on the beach.
She thought she remembered moving into her new apartment. It didn’t seem to be that long ago, but it was hard to tell if that was her memory playing tricks again. Maybe all these memories were nothing more than dreams.
She wondered if she’d left a message for her secretary when she had left the apartment after Alex had called. She seemed to remember telling someone she’d been called away on business and would be in touch.
She sat up straighter when she realized this was a new memory. She remembered hanging up from Alex’s call, and frantically dialing the office number.
“Remember something else?”
She jumped. She’d almost forgotten about Nat. He didn’t miss a thing, she thought ruefully. “Just the move to my new apartment.”
“You have a job?”
Her pulse leapt. Of course. If she owned a business in Sacramento, she could hardly be living in the mountains as Sabhad’s wife. He’d have to believe her now. “I own my own business in the city. I’ll take you there. Anyone there can tell you I’m not married.”
“Where is it?”
She frowned, wondering if her office was still on Eleventh Street. No, it couldn’t be. She’d called her office from the hospital and reached an entirely different business. She tried to visualize herself dialing the number of her new office, but couldn’t see it.
“I...I’m not sure. But it has to be listed in the Yellow Pages.”
“What kind of business?”
“Public relations. I arrange for advertising, promotions, fund-raising events, among other things, for various businesses in Sacramento. There are several people who can vouch for me.”
“And the name?”
“Richmond Enterprises. At least it was. I might have changed the name when I changed the office.”
“You don’t remember?”
She shook her head. “It’s all a blank.”
“Well, if you’re as well-known as you say you are, there should be no problem in finding it.”
She felt a pang of apprehension. What if she ran into someone she knew and they asked her about Alex? Everyone must know by now that he was wanted on a murder charge.
So far, Nat hadn’t mentioned anything about her father. If his story was true about Sabhad hiring him, he wouldn’t connect her to a scientist on the run. On the other hand, if he was a cop he’d certainly know who she was.
She’d just have to plead ignorance. After all, if Alex had called her just before the accident, it was feasible she wouldn’t know about the murder charge. Or didn’t remember. There was a lot she could hide behind a lost memory.
She tried to relax. Her head was beginning to ache again, as it always did when she tried too hard to remember. “You never did tell me how the accident happened,” she said, as Nat swept the car around a curve. “If I knew how it happened it might help me remember something.”
Once more the valley spread out below them, she noticed, and this time she could see the highway winding into the distance, the sunlight glinting now and again on the miniature cars that traveled the road.
After a moment or two, she realized that Nat hadn’t answered her. She sent him a quick look and was disconcerted to see him scowling at the road ahead. At first she thought he’d seen Sabhad’s cars, and was immediately afraid. They had the road to themselves, however, and it was impossible to see around the many bends.
“What’s the matter?’ she demanded sharply.
“Relax.” His voice sounded gruff, not at all reassuring. “So far we’re in the clear.”
“Then why didn’t you answer me?”
He sighed. “You asked the question I was hoping you wouldn’t ask.”
Her heart began bumping again. “Why?”
“Because I guess it’s my fault you cracked up the car.”
She thought about that. “You were driving? I thought I was.”
“You were.”
“Then how—”
His voice was curt when he cut in. “I wasn’t in the car with you, Valeri. I was following you. You took off across the desert without lights, hit a gully and overturned the car. Luckily I was close enough to drag you out before it blew up.”
Her heart lurched in panic. She’d been running from him. He could be a cop, after all—following her to where Alex lay in hiding. “Why were you following me?”
“I told you why. Sabhad told me about the children crying for their mother. I took the job. I drove back to Sacramento and went to the address he gave me, just in time to see you leave. I didn’t know where you were going, but I figured it was to a bar or something. I figured I’d make your acquaintance, get you in my car and take you back to Sabhad.”
“I see.” She frowned. “How did Sabhad know where I live?”
He sent her a sardonic glance. “That’s one of the reasons I bought his story. He knows a hell of a lot about you for a stranger.”
She sighed. “I must have met him at some time. I just wish I knew where.”
“Maybe there’s something in your apartment that will tell us. Maybe then we can figure out what’s going on.”
She had to admit that “we” sounded very comforting. Much as she hated to acknowledge it, working alone in the dark—without her memory to rely on—was pretty terrifying. It would be so wonderful to have someone she could trust to help her. Someone strong, capable and experienced like the man at her side.
She took a hold of herself. There she went again. She was in this on her own, she reminded herself, until she was good and sure she wouldn’t be betraying Alex by revealing what she knew. No matter how little that was. She couldn’t afford to trust anyone. Least of all Nathan Thorne.
She managed to keep the conversation on mundane matters during the long drive to Sacramento. When they finally approached the city limits, she began to recognize street names, and things started clicking into place.
She had pretty much all of it now, except the crucial hours just before the wreck. Alex’s voice kept fading in and out of her mind, leaving those annoying gaps in the conversation. If only she could remember. She sat up suddenly and leaned forward. “Didn’t we just pass the entrance to my apartment block?”
“We did.” Nat’s face was set like stone.
“Why didn’t you go in?”
“I have a suspicious nature. There’s a cop car sitting in front of the main entrance. Something tells me there’s probably another one around the back.”
She caught her breath. “I should have thought of that.”
Nat swore. “Lady, you’ve got some explaining to do. I think you’d better start talking, right now. Or—I could take you back and let you talk to the cops.”
“No! I mean—”
“I thought so.” He swung the wheel so hard she banged her elbow on the door. For several minutes he said nothing as they sped along Arden Way; then he pulled off and headed into the parking lot of a shopping mall. Finding a space between two trucks, he pulled the little car in and cut the engine.
Valeri’s heart pounded again as she faced him. He was furious. She could see it in the hard glint of his eyes, and in the pulse that twitched in his jaw.
“Now, you and I are going to get a few things straight,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet. “You are going to tell me why you have a police escort waiting for you to come home. You are also going to tell me where Sabhad fits into all this. And I don’t want to hear any more baloney about a lost memory.”
She tried a desperate bluff. “The police could be trying to find out who kidnapped me. After all, I’m missing from the office.
Someone could have called them.”
“After two days? I don’t think so. That was a stakeout I saw, not an investigation. I’ve been around them enough to know the difference.”
He sounded like a cop. But he wasn’t a cop. She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but she did. Maybe it was the way he’d looked when he’d driven by the apartment. As if the last thing he wanted was to talk to the police.
That left Sabhad. She believed now that Nat knew no more than she did. She looked down at her hands, struggling with uncertainties. She needed help if she was to find Alex. Without her memory, she couldn’t do it alone. If the police were guarding her apartment—and probably her office—she couldn’t go back there. She couldn’t delay much longer. Every hour that she waited could mean more trouble for Alex.
She thought about the way Nat had rescued her from Sabhad’s men. Without knowing what was going on, his instincts had been to save her. He’d come after her down that long, dry road, and had taken her back to the motel to take care of her. He’d slept in the same bed as her all night and hadn’t laid a finger on her.
She had been wrong about him. He had principles. Enough to get angry when she accused him of not having any. She had to start trusting someone. And Nat was all she had.
She looked up. “All right. I’ll tell you what I know. On condition that you swear you won’t make any contact with the police.”
He stared at her for a long time, while her nervousness grew. Finally, he let out his breath on a long sigh. “You’ve got a deal.”
“I want your word on it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I was under the impression you didn’t think much of my word.”
She met his gaze head-on. “I’m prepared to change my opinion.”
The smile began in his eyes but faded before it reached his mouth. “I suppose I should be grateful for that.”
“Under the circumstances, I consider it a miracle.”
His mouth twisted in a wry grimace. “I’ll apologize, if necessary, once I get the truth.”
“And your word?”
“I’ll leave the police out of it. That, I can promise you.”
She’d felt fairly safe in that respect. After all, he would have a tough time explaining why he’d kidnapped an innocent woman from the steps of a hospital. Nevertheless, it seemed important that he promised.
She leaned back in her seat, not quite sure where to begin. “When I woke up in the hospital, I had no memory at all of the past six years. It’s all been coming back gradually over the past two days. Now I think I remember just about everything, up to the day before yesterday. Those last hours are still a complete blank.”
“And you are not Sabhad’s wife.”
She shook her head. “To be honest, that part has me really puzzled. I swear I’ve never met the man. All I can think is that the woman in the pictures is my double.”
“More like your identical twin. On the other hand, people can do amazing things with computers these days.”
“Of course. Morphing.” Why hadn’t she thought of that? “I’ve seen software advertised that can do that. With the right equipment you can blend any image into another picture.”
“Right,” said Nat. “Even put someone’s face on another body. They’ve been doing it in movies for quite a while.”
Valeri sank back against the seat in relief. “So that’s how he did it.”
“We assume that’s how he did it. Now, what I want to know is why?”
She shrugged. “I really don’t know. It seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to, just to get me to his house. It must have something to do with my father.”
“Your father?”
If she’d had any doubts left, they were swept away by the bewilderment in his voice. Praying that she was doing the right thing, she said hesitantly, “I don’t suppose you’ve heard much of the news lately. My father is Alex Forrester. He’s a scientist working for the government. When I tried to call him from the hospital, I was told that he’s wanted for questioning in connection with a murder.”
Nat’s breath hissed out through his teeth. “No wonder the cops are waiting for you to turn up. What the hell have I walked into here?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I wish I knew. All I know is that Alex couldn’t possibly have killed anyone. I’d stake my life on it.”
“You might very well have to before this is over.” The look on his face told her he wasn’t joking.
“Go on,” he said grimly, “tell me everything you know.”
She examined her fingernails. “Alex called me. I’m pretty sure it was two days ago—the day I crashed the car. Anyway, he sounded terrible. I can’t remember everything he said, but I do remember him saying that he was hurt. I think he told me where he was. He told me not to talk to the police and not to trust anyone.”
Nat was listening closely, his gaze intent on her face. “Anything else?”
She frowned. “I think he mentioned Sabhad by name, though I’m not sure about that. He said something about Sylvan Springs...and a campground.” She laid her hand on Nat’s arm. “That’s all I remember. I have to find him, Nat. He’s injured, holed up somewhere all alone. He could be seriously hurt.”
She felt his arm flinch slightly beneath her touch. He looked down at her fingers resting on his bare skin, as if he’d only just noticed them. After a moment he drew in his breath. “Okay, take it easy.” He looked up at her again. “What about your mother? Could she know where he is?”
She shook her head. “My mother’s dead. In any case, they were divorced a long time ago.”
“Brothers or sisters?”
“There’s only me.”
For a second she saw something in his eyes—a flash of pain—then it was gone, leaving her wondering what she’d said to trigger a reaction in him.
“Did your father say anything about the murder?”
She shook her head. “If he did, I don’t remember. The first I knew of it was when I called from the hospital.”
“Called where?”
“His office at the lab where he works. A policeman talked to me.”
Nat groaned. “What did he say?”
“Just that Alex was missing, and I was to contact them if I heard from him.”
“Did he know you were calling from the hospital?”
“I guess so. Though he didn’t know which one.”
“And you don’t remember anything else?”
“Nothing. Except...” She hesitated, then decided it was common knowledge anyway. “Last night, when you’d gone for the hamburgers, I was listening to the news. The anchor mentioned Alex—that he was wanted for questioning and was still missing. I guess he was supposed to be in Washington, D.C., right now, reporting on some project he’s working on. Something to do with fuel.”
Nat’s gaze sharpened. “Fuel? What kind of fuel?”
“I don’t know,” Valeri said miserably. “If I know about it, I don’t remember it.”
“That’s real interesting,” Nat said, almost to himself.
Valeri watched him, alerted by his thoughtful expression. “What is?”
Nat smiled, and despite her anxiety she felt little sparks of pleasure set off down her spine. “Fuel. Your father’s project.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Oil, for instance. From Saudi Arabia.”
She caught her breath. “Sabhad.”
“Sabhad is right. My guess is that Sabhad cooked up his abandoned kids story to get you to his house. I’d say it’s a safe bet that it isn’t you he wants, but your father. One sure way to smoke him out is to kidnap his daughter.”
“But how would Alex know I was at Sabhad’s house?”
“Maybe Sabhad doesn’t know Alex is hurt. He probably figures you’re hiding him. In which case, your father would sure know if you went missing. It wouldn’t be that tough to figure out where you went.”
Valeri nodded. “I’ve thought all along that Sabhad might be involved wi
th Alex’s disappearance. Though I couldn’t figure out why.”
“More than likely it has something to do with the fuel project. And a murder.”
“You think he’s responsible?”
“The only way we’re going to find out for sure is to find your father. And we’ll find him if we have to search every campground in the area.”
She could have hugged Nat. “Then you’ll help me?”
He sent her one of his sidelong glances. “Don’t get too grateful. This is my neck here, as well. One of the reasons I’ve stayed alive this long is because I know how to protect my own tail.”
His voice had been gruff, as usual, but she had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t entirely thinking of himself. They were working together now instead of against each other. They were on the same side, and that thought gave her the first real assurance she’d felt since she’d woken up in the hospital with a frightening blank in her memory.
They still had a long way to go. They still had to find her father, find out where Sabhad figured in all this, and possibly solve a murder. But Nat had agreed to help. He finally believed her. He wasn’t fighting her anymore. And right now, that was all that mattered.
“Do I have time to buy a change of clothes first?”
He sighed. “Now isn’t that just like a woman. I guess we’d better grab something to eat as well while we’re here.”
He followed her into a chain store, and made some purchases of his own while she bought a couple of cotton shirts, a pair of jeans and a change of underwear.
Back inside the car, he surprised her by tossing a pair of sunglasses in her lap. “I never wear them,” he said, when she thanked him. “But I thought they might help your headache.”
Her headache had disappeared earlier, but she wasn’t about to spoil his kind gesture. Maybe she’d misjudged him, she thought, sitting the glasses on her nose. He wasn’t totally without sensitivity, after all.
“I bought a newspaper, too.” He handed it to her. “I thought there might be something in there about your father.”
The Mercenary And The Marriage Vow Page 10