Deadly Discovery

by Tami Kidd

  She reviewed the layout of the room in her mind, picturing how it might look. She recalled the location of the table, the door, and estimated the distance to each, putting her approximately five feet from the table on the left. One of the goons had set a bottle of whiskey on the table and beside it, were the matches used to light a cigarette.

  The boss got up from his chair and paced the room again. While probably thinking about his next question, Mara calculated the number of steps he took around her, along with the rough estimate of his stride based upon the time between footfalls. Judging from the length of his stride, she calculated his height. This could work to her advantage.

  Mara pictured all her moves in her head. If everything went as planned, she might escape in time to warn Alex about the two goons on their way to his house. Timing had to be just right, so she waited for the perfect opportunity. She corralled her impatience. If she didn’t execute her plan exactly, she could end up dead.

  “It seems we are the only two left to enjoy this little party.”

  “Seems so,” Mara said coolly.

  “Let’s get back to our little game of Twenty Questions, shall we?” He walked up behind her and put his hand on her right shoulder.

  Instinctively her body shivered and she jerked her shoulder away from his hand. “Don’t touch me.”

  He ignored her retort. “I want to thank you for being so cooperative, Mrs. Byrne. You don’t realize how much easier you’re making this for me. It makes me happy when things go easy. I’m not at all please with Mr. Strange. He made a fool out of me and my team by placing the decoy letter in his files. Smart though—annoyingly smart. Mr. Strange shall be punished severely for this embarrassment. You, on the other hand, have proven to be quite a cooperative little hostage. You shall be rewarded. Maybe I’ll let you live. How does that sound?” he asked as he leaned down to speak directly into her left ear. His words slid down her neck like slime.

  Mara remained calm. She could not show her hand yet. “That sounds very generous.”

  “Excellent. Now, let’s get on with the game. Tell me what you remember about the letter. I want all the details.”

  Mara lowered her head. “I can’t. It’s too painful.”

  The man walked around to stand in front of her. “Do I need to reiterate the rules again?”

  With her chin lowered to her chest, Mara mumbled something inaudible.

  He leaned in closer to her face. “Excuse me? I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”

  Mara raised her head so he could hear her clearly. “I said screw you!” As she blurted out the words, she brought her right leg up with all her strength into his groin. She kicked him so hard, she was sure she crushed his balls.

  He fell to the floor, moaning and writhing like a wounded animal. She jumped out of the chair and pulled off her blindfold using her thumbs. She ran to the table and grabbed the matches. She took one out of the box and bit it between her teeth, striking it with a quick jerk against the matchbox. It ignited immediately. The smell of sulphur wafted into her nostrils. Holding up her arms, the flame burned through the zip tie that held her hands together. Ouch! A few drops of the melted tie singed her wrist. She spat out the match before the flame burned her lips. Free at last!

  Next to her feet, the groaning man rolled on the floor still cupping his crotch. Then he reached for her ankle, clutching it tight. His fingers dug into her heel. “I’ll crush you with one hand,” he growled through gritted teeth.

  “No!” Mara almost lost her footing as she tried to kick him with her free foot. She toppled over on top of him. When he grabbed her neck, she screamed and bit into his arm. Her knee slammed into his groin. Liberated, Mara scrambled to her feet, picked up the chair and brought it down on his head. One of the legs broke off. The man lost consciousness. Her hands shook as she felt inside his pocket for the keys to his car.

  “You will be sorry you did this to me, asshole!” She found the keys and ran back to the table, stuffed the blindfold into the bottle of whiskey, grabbed the matches and her duffle bag, and ran out the front door. Forgoing the stairs, she leapt off the porch and turned back to face the shack. Another lit match ignited the Molotov cocktail. She threw it at the door. The dry wood went up in flames.

  Certain the flames were spreading inside, Mara ran to the black sedan, threw her bag in, and clumsily tried three keys before she found the one that started the car. She threw it in reverse and gunned it while whipping the steering wheel so the front of the car faced away from the shack. Gravel flew in all directions as the car fishtailed down the long driveway. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw no sign of the man. Nothing but dancing orange flames filled her view. What a beautiful sight.

  “Woohoo! I did it!” Mara yelled at the top of her lungs. “I actually pulled it off!” About a half mile down the road, she pulled up to a paved highway. Turning left, she hoped she would find civilization soon.

  Then Mara remembered. “Oh my God, Alex!” She reached for the duffle bag on the seat next to her and felt around for her cell phone. She found it and punched in Alex’s number. He answered on the first ring.

  “Oh, thank God, Mara, are you all right?”

  “I’m okay. I got away—but, Alex, two goons are heading to your house right now. Call the police! They’re coming after the letter and they intend to kill you. Get out!”

  “Don’t worry; they’re not going to find me or the letter. I figured they might come after me, so I already left my house. The letter was never there anyway. They’re not getting their hands on it. Never mind the letter, where are you?”

  “I don’t know. I’m driving down some highway. I’m certain it’s the one we came in on when they brought me here, but I haven’t seen any road signs yet. This place is out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Did they hurt you?”

  “No. I was tied up and blindfolded. All I have is a killer headache from where they knocked me out.”

  “How the hell did you get away?”

  “It’s a long story. I’m going to pull over and use the GPS app on my phone to find out where I am.”

  “Just be sure you’re not being followed. Lock your doors when you pull over. Don’t stay in one place too long. Be careful.”

  “Don’t worry, I will be.”

  “When you find out where you are, call me and let me know. I’ll meet you somewhere so you can ditch the car. The kidnapper may have a tracking device on it.”

  “Good thinking. Okay, I’m pulling over right now. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”

  Two minutes later, Mara called Alex back. He picked up before it had a chance to complete the first ring.

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m near the Perris Reservoir. I should be able to meet you in about twenty-five minutes.”

  “No, sooner. I’ll meet you at the exit of Ramona Expressway and I-215. Do you know where that’s at?”

  “Yes. I’ll see you there.”

  Mara pulled in fifteen minutes later. Alex had already arrived, standing on the corner beside his red pickup. She parked beside the truck and jumped out of the car.

  He ran over, picked her up, and hugged her tightly, quickly setting her back down again. “Thank God you’re all right. You are okay, right?” He held her at arm’s length to look her over.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I just want to get out of here.”

  “Come on, get in.” He opened the passenger-side door for her.

  She threw her duffle bag in the back and pulled herself up into the cab. Finally, Mara felt safe enough to relax. She smiled when Alex got in and looked at her a long time before starting the truck. “What?” she asked.

  “You. You’re amazing.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m awesome. Now get me out of here!” Mara pointed at the road.

  They pulled away, leaving the black sedan and the nightmare behind. But now a new question arose: why would someone go to such extreme measures to get their hands on a love letter?

 
Mara closed her eyes and lay her head back. She woke when the truck stopped and Alex killed the ignition. She opened her eyes to see they were parked in front of an old ranch-style house. “Where are we?”

  “My friend’s house—Matt’s. We’re going to rest here for a few hours; tomorrow we’ll figure out this letter business. Matt is out of town. We have the place to ourselves.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Four in the morning.”

  They went inside. Alex took Mara to the guest bedroom.

  “I think you’ll be comfortable in here. Try to get some rest. It’s been a rough day for you.” He smiled, putting his hand on her shoulder.

  “That’s a major understatement.”

  With a quick peck on her cheek, Alex closed the door.

  Mara walked over to the bed, dropped her duffle bag on the floor, and curled up under the quilts. It felt wonderful. She closed her eyes and drifted off into nothingness.

  Fifteen

  The smell of brewing coffee wafted into the bedroom where Mara woke. She stretched her arms out. The sun shone brightly through the cracks of the blinds. Soreness and stiffness clung to her body. Being kidnapped is really rough on a person.

  She craved a shower and some clean clothes. Rummaging through her duffle bag, she found a slightly worn Anaheim Angels jersey and her favorite pair of blue jeans—but no shoes. Oh well, this will have to do for now till I get home. I’m from Arkansas, after all. No one wears shoes in Arkansas. She laughed at the thought. After she moved to California, every time Mara told someone she was from Arkansas they’d look at her feet, implying that only barefoot hillbillies lived in Arkansas.

  Mara walked into the kitchen in her slightly wrinkled outfit. Alex looked at her with a wide grin from his seat at the bar. Mara held her arms out to her side and did a little runway model turn to her right and then to her left. “How do I look?”

  “Rested and beautiful. Would you like some coffee?”

  “I would love some.”

  Alex walked to the counter where he already had an empty cup waiting. “Do you take anything in it?”

  “Cream, if you have any; if not, black is fine.”

  He reached into the cabinet for some non-dairy creamer. He brought the coffee, creamer, and spoon back to the bar and placed it in front of her.

  “That’s great, thank you,” Mara said, pouring some of the creamer into her cup. “How long have you been up?” she asked, slowly stirring her coffee.

  “About an hour. How’d you sleep?”

  “Like the dead. I don’t think I moved once.”

  “How do you feel?” Worry filled Alex’s eyes.

  “I’ll be ok. I’m a little sore and bruised, but—”

  “Did they hurt you?”

  The real question on his mind was not immediately understood, but then Mara gazed into his eyes and knew what he really meant. “No! God, no! I’m sore from being banged around in the back of the van. That’s all, I promise!” She hoped she put his mind at ease. “In fact, they treated me surprisingly well. I don’t doubt though, that they would have hurt me, but it never came to that.”

  “Tell me everything you remember and how the hell you got away. I’ve got to say, I’m impressed. Not many people get away from abductors. I guess all those crime novels paid off, huh?”

  “Yeah, and the $1500 self-defense classes I took.” Mara recounted the events that led up to when Alex picked her up. Detail after detail, she left nothing out.

  “Wow, I’m even more impressed. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

  “I want to check the news to see if someone reported any fires, especially where there might have been a fatality. I don’t know if the jerk regained consciousness in time to get out of there—not that I’m concerned, considering he probably meant to kill me. All the same, I’m not thrilled that I might have murdered someone.”

  “Mara, if he died, it’s not murder,” Alex said softly. “It’s self-defense. You did what you had to do in order to survive.” He cupped his hands over hers.

  She felt a wave of warmth inch up her arms and stop at her heart. I could look into his eyes forever.

  Alex stood and broke the spell. “Let me make you some breakfast. You need to eat.”

  “I’m fine, this will—” Mara lifted her cup of coffee to indicate it was enough.

  “Nope, you have to eat. What can I make you? Scrambled eggs, pancakes, an omelet?”

  “Just toast.”

  “Scrambled eggs and toast it is!”

  Mara shook her head, unable to believe that after everything she’d been through, this remarkable man could make her feel so special and…happy.

  “While I rustle us up some breakfast, why don’t you go search the internet for any news? The computer’s in the office, down the hall to the left.”

  Eager to alieve her fears, Mara found the office. A hunter-green sofa with green and red plaid accent pillows seemed inviting. Dark mahogany tables sat on each side and a plush dark-chocolate rug lay in front of the couch. On the left, a very large and expensive mahogany desk and red leather chair dominated the room. Two 24-inch widescreen monitors, a wireless keyboard, and a mouse occupied half the space on top of the desk. Nice. Mara pulled out the chair and sat down at the main all-in-one PC. She pressed the power button. Both monitors came to life.

  While she searched the news sites, she found nothing that mentioned any house fires. Maybe it hasn’t had time to make the news yet. I’ll check again later.

  “Come and get it!” Alex called from the kitchen.

  Perfect timing.

  “Wow, this looks really great!” Mara said. Two place settings were neatly arranged on the table, each plate piled high with scrambled eggs, toast, and sliced strawberries.

  “Not much to it. It’s scrambled eggs with a little cheese, onions and sweet peppers.” Alex gestured toward the chair. “Sit, eat, and enjoy. I know you must be starving; you burned a lot of energy last night.”

  “I am hungry.” Mara put a forkful of eggs into her mouth. Reaching for a glass of orange juice, she asked, “Why do you think those goons wanted the letter so bad? I can’t figure it out. Do you have any ideas?”

  “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought,” Alex said, smearing jelly on his toast. I think we should exam the source of the letter for more clues. Once we know more about the person who wrote it, a lot of our questions will be answered. I did a very basic background check on Rebecca Kincaid. Nothing popped up. If you don’t mind, I’m going to have the letter dusted for prints. Maybe that will produce some results.”

  “I think that’s a very good idea. How long will it take?”

  “Normally a couple weeks, but I have a friend who owes me a favor.”

  “Don’t you love having friends who owe you favors?” Mara smiled as she sipped her orange juice.

  “Absolutely!”

  “I think you’re going to owe your friend Matt big time for letting us hide out here last night. Where’s he at, anyway?”

  “Out of town on business.”

  “What does he do?”

  “He’s a patent attorney.”

  “That sounds like it would be an interesting job.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I know he makes good money.”

  “Have you been friends with him very long?”

  “Best of friends since grade school. There’s a lot of history between me and Mattie.”

  “That’s nice. Friends and family are important. Is your family from around here?”

  “No, actually Matt and I are from Indiana.”

  “What brought you to California?”

  “Well, Mattie and I talked about moving to California when we were kids. You know how kids are. The beach, the sunshine, movie stars, girls in bikinis, fast cars—what more could you ask for? We both dreamed of leaving the cold, ass-numbing winters of Indiana for the warmth of Southern California.” Alex had a distant look in his eyes, like he had gone somewhere back in t
ime. “Now we’re here, living, working, and loving life.”

  “So, are there significant others in your lives?” Mara asked before she could stop herself. For some reason, she held her breath in anticipation of his answer.

  “Matt is kind of serious with someone right now. They’ve been together for a couple of years. They seem to be taking it really slow. I keep expecting them to get engaged or elope to Vegas someday, but they haven’t.”

  Mara tilted her head to one side. “And what about you?”

  Alex stared at his juice glass a little too hard.

  Mara immediately felt awkward. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business. Please forgive me.” Embarrassed, she took her plate to the kitchen sink. She rinsed it under hot water and then leaned over to put it in the dishwasher. Why did I have to ask him that? I’m an idiot. What difference does it make anyway?

  With her back to Alex and with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, she said, “Okay, I think it’s time we get this show on the road. I need to—”

  “Don’t.” Alex stood directly behind her.

  Mara felt the heat from his body even though he wasn’t touching her. Weak, her knees almost buckled, and her heart raced. She felt like her whole body was on fire. “I need to go home and get some shoes. I’m barefoot, as you can see.”

  “Don’t.”

  Mara couldn’t ignore him any longer. “Don’t what?”

  He took her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him. He lifted her chin slightly and looked at her with his Olympic pools of blue. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel whatever this is between us, and don’t beat yourself up for wanting to know if there’s someone in my life. I’ve been attracted to you since that first day you came into my office and jumped down my throat. You have a fire and spirit inside you that shines so bright, it practically blinds me. You’re honest and real. You have a passion for life, whether you know it or not. You’re a champion for the truth, even if it means it may tear apart the life you shared with your husband. You know what you want and you go for it. Don’t underestimate yourself and the power you have over others—over me. I know it may be too soon for you to think about another man, but when you’re ready, I want to be the first in line. I’m sorry if I’m making you feel uncomfortable, but you should know how I feel.” He gently brushed the hair out of her eyes.