Finding Kate Huntley

by Ragan, Theresa

  He kissed her neck, her shoulder, her face. His hands slid beneath the curve of her bottom. A second rippling sensation erupted, shattered, and then finally wound down into small pleasurable pulses.

  Once their heartbeats slowed, Jack slid to her side, leaving one hand to rest on her stomach. Content, she burrowed her head between his shoulders and just breathed.

  After a quick shower, Jack used a towel to dry himself while Kate, fully dressed, leaned over the bathroom sink and fixed her hair.

  She followed Jack into the bedroom, watched him reach for a clean T-shirt and slide it over his head. “So, did you change your mind about the party?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer and that worried her.

  “When I talked to Auntie this morning,” she went on, “I learned that Auntie did know about Dr. Forstin’s death. The poor woman has taken his death very hard.”

  Jack slid on his socks and shoes.

  “She’s on our side, Jack. Apparently the sheriff owes her a favor. I gave her the note from Brooklynn, you know, the one with the license plate number of the vehicle at Forstin’s lab. She called the sheriff to ask him about it. He already called her back. The vehicle belongs to a John Wheaton. Does that name ring any bells?”

  He shook his head. “Tell me you didn’t give her the disc.”

  Kate stiffened. “The disc has already been picked up by courier.”

  Jack moaned.

  “I don’t understand. I thought we came here to get help.”

  He grabbed hold of her hand, his gaze was piercing. “Let’s call the police right now,” he pleaded. “It’s not too late. I know what it’s like to want revenge, Kate. I didn’t think I’d ever know a good night’s sleep until my sister’s killer was buried ten feet under, but I was wrong. I will see her killer behind bars eventually, but I’m going to do it legally. Justice will be served.”

  Kate’s eyes narrowed. “Not this again. Don’t try to change my mind, Jack. I will find the man who ordered my father’s death, and I will see to it that justice prevails. The only difference is that I refuse to waste my time with all that bullshit bureaucracy.”

  “Wouldn’t it be a relief to get everything out in the open?” Jack sighed. “You wouldn’t have to watch your own shadow any longer,” he said. “You could move back to New York City if you wanted to. You could get an apartment. Why not let your hair grow back to its natural color? Get back into the swing of things and start living again.”

  “What, you don’t like my hair color?”

  “On the contrary.”

  She snorted. “I guess you’ve never had a redhead and a blonde in the same week.”

  He laughed. And when her eyes flashed, he said, “I don’t kiss and tell.”

  “Well good, because I don’t want to know about your boring sex life.” She pulled her hand back. “For the record, I don’t like guys like you who act like they know what’s best for a girl like me. You’re making me feel claustrophobic. Maybe I don’t want an apartment in New York. Maybe I want to go back to Haiti where the people aren’t coddled like you Americans. The people of Haiti are resilient and real. They don’t take anything for granted, not even a damn drop of fresh water.”

  He didn’t say a word.

  “You think you know what’s best for me just because you’ve read a thin file back at the office?” she asked. “Well, I never laid eyes on you until last week and I’ve got you pegged.” She didn’t know why she felt so angry all of a sudden, but she did. She wanted to hurt him for making her care. She jabbed his shoulder with her finger. “You probably have a nice shiny Rolex in the top drawer of your dresser and spit-shined shoes in your closet. I bet you have row after row of starched white shirts hanging above those shoes and a drawer full of boring ties and neatly rolled socks. Before your parents moved away, you had roast beef for dinner at your mother’s house every other Sunday. And you’re probably way too busy playing the field to think about settling down with a wife and 2.5 kids. Maybe in another ten years you’ll be ready to shut your laptop long enough to settle down. You’ll expect your new wife to keep the kids quiet and have your dinner ready by five. Odds are she’ll be someone nice and boring and predictable...like you.”

  He chucked her softly under the chin. “That’s my Kate.”

  A muscle in her jaw twitched. “Maybe you’re the one who should live a little, maybe let your hair grow out.” She reached toward his face and let the tips of her fingers swirl around the hair above his ear. “Maybe you could really live dangerously and let your hair grow past your shoulders, long enough so that you can tie it back when it gets too hot.”

  His lips quirked upward. “I might do that.”

  Her anger dissipated. She dropped her hand and looked toward the window. She didn’t want to admit it, but maybe he was right. Maybe her father didn’t really want her to spend her life hiding from the world. What if Jack was right and she could one day be free of the nightmares that haunted her sleep? “You know what my father said before he sank into the bowels of the Atlantic?”

  His features softened. “What?”

  “He said don’t trust anyone. Not a single solitary soul.”

  Jack remained quiet, looking as if he really didn’t know what to say in response.

  Kate sighed. “Let’s not fight. Go to the party with me.”

  “I can’t. And I don’t think it’s wise for you to go to this party either. Everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve been recognized. You’ll be taking a big risk if you attend.”

  “You said you were going to do things my way.”

  “I thought I could. I’m sorry. I’m going to drive to town and make a few calls. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  “Harrison?”

  He nodded. “I’m going to ask him to meet me.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s alone before I talk with him.” They both knew the chances of Harrison coming alone were slim to none, but neither of them said a word.

  “I don’t really think you’re boring,” Kate said.

  “And I don’t want to crowd you or change anything about you. I think you’re perfect just the way you are. And listen,” he added. “I appreciate your Auntie letting us stay, but look around, Kate. This place is filled with expensive antiques and collectibles. I thought you told me she ran a nonprofit organization.”

  “Apparently she made a killing in the stock market when her father sold the family business.”

  “Hmmm.” He smoothed his knuckles across Kate’s jaw. “Sure you don’t want to come along for the ride?”

  “I promised Auntie I would help her set up for the party. Maybe you’re right though. People will recognize me. I got caught up in the idea of being carefree and having fun. Imagine that?”

  “Someday, Kate. Someday you’ll be free to do everything your heart desires.”

  She sighed. “I’ll go along with the party thing until the last minute, and then I’ll tell Auntie I’m not feeling well enough to attend.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” He headed for the door. “What about the dogs?” he asked, turning back to her.

  “They’re locked up for now since the gardeners are here. But I did learn a trick from one of the butlers this morning. If you call the dogs by their name, they’re trained to obey. In fact, I shook hands with two of the dogs earlier this morning. You just can’t show fear, and like I told you last night...never run.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got that part down. Are all the dogs named Jack?”

  The corner of her lips curved upward. “Jack, Max, and Buddy.”

  Amused, he lifted a brow and said, “Do me a favor while I’m gone.”

  Kate waited for him to finish.

  “Watch your back until I return.”

  Chapter 25

  Harrison stepped on the gas. He’d been trying to reach Sheila at home for the past twenty minutes but the line was busy. He knew how she hated surprises, and he wanted to give her enough time
to spruce up. Without hair and makeup, Sheila had a tendency to look downright frightening at times.

  Donna, his ex-wife, was meeting him at the house. His youngest daughter, Rachel, had finally agreed to stay with him for the weekend, and he’d very nearly fucked it all up. If Donna hadn’t called to make sure he was going to be home, he would have forgotten about the arrangement they agreed to months ago.

  He had too much on his mind. Every mistake, every mishap, every shit part of his life could be directed at Coffey and the rookie’s inability to disappear.

  Up ahead, the yellow light turned red. He hit the gas. Horns blared as he cut off oncoming traffic. Fuck. After everything he’d been through, he was going to get himself killed trying to get home in time to impress his ex-wife. He shouldn’t care what Donna thought. He had a beautiful, young wife now, but that hadn’t stopped him from thinking about Donna every second of every day since she left him. Donna was at the forefront of his mind even though she didn’t give a rat’s ass about him one way or another.

  Driving too fast through the residential area, he swerved around a bicyclist before making another right. Donna’s silver BMW was parked at the gate at the end of the driveway.

  As he pulled up to the gate, she climbed out of her car. She looked like a million bucks. Her chestnut colored hair had grown. Her natural highlights glistened beneath the sunlight. A dimple dented her cheek when she smiled. She looked fresh and clean in a simple green v-neck shirt and white linen pants. The woman was a sight for sore, tired eyes.

  He hadn’t seen Donna or his daughter, Rachel, in months. Both their lawyers thought it was better that way while they reworked visitation rights and child support.

  They embraced. She smelled like fresh flowers, newly mowed grass, sprigs of mint and everything good in life. He didn’t want to let her go. But all good things had to come to an end and their embrace was no exception. After she stepped away, he headed for his daughter who stood back and waited.

  Taking Rachel in his arms, his chest ached as he held her close. “I’ve missed you, sweetheart.” More than she would ever know. His little girl had grown in the past two months. She no longer wore braces. She looked like her mother.

  “Hi, Daddy.”

  He smiled at her, watching as she and Donna climbed back inside the car and waited for him to open the gate so they could follow him up the steep driveway. Once again, he found himself wishing things had turned out differently. If only he’d tried harder to make things work. If only they were still one happy family. “I’m not sure if Sheila is home. She hasn’t answered my phone calls,” he said as he walked back to his car.

  Donna had yet to see the new house he and Sheila had recently moved into. As he drove up the driveway, past dozens of fully-grown imported palms, he hoped Donna was taking it all in.

  A car he didn’t recognize, a black Porsche 911, was parked near the fountain. Sheila had many friends. That explained why she hadn’t answered her phone. At least that meant she would be dolled up since she never entertained without looking her best.

  He parked his car, climbed out, and waited for Donna and Rachel to catch up to him. He’d come a long way since their divorce, and he hoped they would be impressed. His daughter slid her hand into his and Donna followed the two of them up the wide flagstone stairs leading to his eight thousand square foot home.

  Once inside, he shut the door behind them and called out Sheila’s name. He thought he heard music.

  “Dad, this place is crazy big!” Rachel said. She turned to Donna. “Mom, can I have my sixteenth birthday here?”

  “We’ll see.” Donna’s eyelashes fluttered before she managed to look into his eyes. God, she was amazing. His insides did funny things when he looked at her. He felt like he was back in high school.

  “Which room is mine?” Rachel asked, already half way up the staircase.

  “The biggest room, my darling. The second room to the right.”

  He was about to take Donna on a tour of the kitchen, the most impressive room in the house with its new cast-iron duel fuel range convection oven and Pro 48 sub-zero refrigeration, but he stopped cold when his daughter quickly reappeared at the top of the staircase, all color drained from her small face.

  “What is it, honey?” Donna asked.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spy. I think I went to the wrong room.”

  Harrison followed Donna up the stairs. The music was louder than he first thought, blaring from the room where his daughter would be staying. Sheila had insisted they needed to hire a decorator to make everything perfect, and, of course, he agreed. Sheila liked to listen to music while she worked.

  “What kind of music is that?” Donna asked, wrinkling her nose.

  Nobody needed to tell Harrison that the song playing was That’s Not My Name by The Ting Tings...his wife’s favorite song. Heat crept up his neck. How many times had he asked Sheila to not play that childish music in the house?

  He stepped into the room with Donna on his heels, his daughter at her mother’s side. He couldn’t have been more bewildered by what he saw, couldn’t have come up with a worse scenario had he tried. Sheila stood facing the over-sized bed with her back to them. She was dressed in nothing more than a pair of thong underwear and four-inch spiked heels. In her hand, she held the leather jockey whip he had bought her to use during her riding lessons. Every time Katie White sang the words “My name is Stacey” Sheila cracked the whip at the naked man tied to the bed. The whip was designed to make maximum noise and yet cause little pain. The man’s tendons strained as he tried to get loose, but his wrists and ankles were bound to the bedposts and prevented him from getting away. He wasn’t going anywhere. The fellow was gagged, preventing him from announcing Harrison’s arrival. And yet the man’s eyes flashed with horror as Harrison leaned down and pulled the plug on the sound system.

  Donna held their daughter close to her chest before finally rushing from the room.

  Sheila turned about, her body well oiled, her eyes flashing anger until she saw who had interrupted her dirty little game.

  The whip dropped from her hand at the same moment Harrison’s cell phone rang. Without blinking or looking away, he reached inside his pocket for his phone and flipped it open. It was Sharon, his secretary.

  “Sir, I have a man on the phone who won’t give his name. He says he’s a friend who recently returned from Haiti.”

  Through the family room window, Kate watched Jack jog down the driveway and stop at the mailbox. From where she stood, it appeared he was pocketing a letter. What was he doing?

  Next, he hotwired the VW, climbed in, and drove away. Kate headed across the black and white checkered marble foyer, taking note of the pitched beamed ceilings, the large picture windows, and marble fireplace. Auntie had definitely spent a fair amount of money on renovations since she was here last.

  French doors had been left opened to a spectacular covered veranda, ideal for outdoor entertaining and taking in captivating views of the Pacific and the mountains. The gentle crash of the waves in the distance reminded her of Haiti. She was homesick.

  Kate didn’t quite know what to think about Jack. Somehow he had gotten the upper hand earlier when they argued. He was the one who avoided conflict like the plague, and yet he hadn’t seemed the least bit bothered when she told him to stop crowding her and telling her what to do with her life. He was only trying to help. He cared about her. He cared too much and it scared her. She frowned.

  Nothing scared Kate Huntley. She wasn’t a weakling. She was brave and strong like her parents and nobody was going to—

  “Kate. There you are.”

  Caught off guard, Kate turned about, and found herself face to face with Auntie.

  “Where’s Jack?”

  “I’m afraid he had to leave.” Kate didn’t bother telling Auntie that Jack would be back, since she didn’t want to upset the woman. Being around Auntie reminded her of better times, made her think of her mother and how much she missed femal
e camaraderie. “Jack asked me to apologize for being rude last night. You had every right to be worried.”

  “I’m sorry he left,” she said, her voice sincere as she placed a slender arm around Kate’s shoulders. “I, too, wish to apologize for not telling him how much it means to me that he brought you home safely.”

  They headed across the great room. “Jack was concerned about the disc,” Kate added. “It might be the only proof we have that he’s an innocent man. Are you sure the disc is in good hands?”

  Auntie stopped to pat her hand, making Kate feel like a child. “Don’t worry about a thing. Come now, darling. Maria is waiting for you in the master suite.”

  “I thought we were going to set the table together?”

  “Don’t be silly, child. There are servants to attend to the decor. While Maria does your hair, you and I are going to have a chance to catch up with all you’ve been doing these past years. I want you to tell me everything. It has been much too long since we’ve chatted.”

  Jack stood in the bright red telephone booth situated outside the Paseo Nuevo Mall in downtown Santa Barbara and held the handset between his shoulder and ear while he reached back and pulled a video disc from his back pocket. Although he hadn’t been able to read the original disc, he had managed to force the surveillance clerk to copy it. There was a copy of the disc in the trunk of the Volkswagen and one under the front seat. There was also a copy in the inside zipper section of Kate’s bag. He hadn’t told Kate because he figured she’d be safer if she didn’t know. Instead, he let her believe she’d given the original and only disc to her Auntie.

  “I’d like to talk to Agent Harrison,” he told the person on the other end of the line.

  “No, I’d rather not give you my name,” Jack said. “Tell him it’s a good friend back from Haiti and that I’m in a hurry.”