Seconds later, I jerked awake at the movement of the cab and the sound of the door. I must have looked panic-stricken, because Dave made a hasty gesture with one of the brown paper bags he held. “It’s okay. Just me. Breakfast.”
I blew out a breath and relaxed. “Sorry. I guess I fell asleep.”
“Guess you need it,” he said gruffly. “Here. Eat this and then catch some zees.” He handed me the bag and my change, and I slid into the passenger seat again.
The aroma of hot grease embraced me when I opened the bag, and I swallowed hard to control the flood of saliva. I tore into the breakfast sandwich, gulping the spicy, greasy sausage, egg and cheese, hands shaking. By the time I got to the cardboard package of home fries the truck was in motion, and I finally spared a glance at Dave. “Thanks. This is delicious,” I mumbled through a mouthful.
“No problem.” He glanced over. “You were starving.”
“Yeah.”
His brows drew together again, and I braced myself for more questions. Instead, he said, “Didn’t know how you like your coffee. Brought you some cream and sugar. Got decaf ‘cause I figured you’d need to sleep.”
I almost never drank coffee, but his thoughtfulness touched me. “Thanks,” I repeated. “That’s perfect.” And when I sipped the hot, bitter liquid, it cut through the remainder of the grease and warmed me through. It really was perfect.
When I finished, he shot me another quick look. “If you want to sleep, you can use the bed.” He jerked his thumb toward the sleeper. “Ain’t real safe if there’s an accident, but I ain’t planning to hit anything.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, drowsiness numbing my brain. Safety, a full stomach and a bed. Heaven. I dragged myself back into the sleeper.
Under ordinary circumstances, I’d feel squeamish about sleeping in the bed of a man whose personal hygiene seemed questionable, but I was past caring. When I fell into the narrow bed, I registered brief surprise that the sheets and pillowcase were clean before sleep claimed me.
I woke when the truck stopped. I sat up to peer into the cab, clenching my teeth and heartily regretting the cup of coffee. “Where are we?”
“Revelstoke. Lunch time.”
I put on my shoes and slid into the passenger seat, reaching for the door handle.
“You sure you wanna get out? I can get you something.”
“I have to,” I gritted. “I have to go to the bathroom.” That was the understatement of the century. I wasn’t even sure I could make it down from the cab without peeing my pants.
“Use the one in the sleeper. I’ll get lunch.” He swung out of the cab before I could thank him, and I hurried back into the sleeper. Thank God. It had never occurred to me that it would contain a toilet. I opened a skinny door, and there it was, also surprisingly clean.
By the time Dave returned, I’d brushed out my rats-nest of hair, changed my clothes, and freshened up. I’d also relocated the Glock into my ankle holster and stowed the waist holster in my pack. I had a feeling I’d be safe with Dave.
“Heart attack in a bag,” he grunted, handing me another paper sack. That explained the onion scent in the cab. The burger smelled delicious.
“Thanks.” I handed him a ten, and he fumbled in his pocket for change. “Forget it,” I told him. He shrugged and nodded thanks, and we both devoured our food.
On the road again, we rode in silence until I began to ask questions about the truck. I knew nothing about the big diesels, and apparently I was asking the right person. His taciturn manner vanished as he waxed loquacious over his custom-built sleeper and the inner workings of the engine, and we spent several enjoyable hours discussing vehicles in general.
Apparently the ice was broken, and the conversation wandered to more personal matters. I discovered he was an independent trucker who owned his own rig, and I realized my good fortune when he mentioned he wouldn’t have been allowed to pick me up if he’d been trucking for anybody else.
We had been talking about his bitter ex-wife and his adult kids when he shot me a sudden piercing glance. “You really running from your ex?”
“He’s not really my ex. But I’m as good as dead if he finds me.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s… a guy I work with. We… I thought we had something. I was wrong.”
“So this nutjob is chasing you. That all you got?” He indicated my backpack.
“Yeah.”
He frowned. “You got a place to go?”
“Um…” Now that I’d had a few hours of sleep and a chance to think things through, I realized exactly how ill-prepared I was. Last I’d heard, Aunt Minnie was in a care home. I couldn’t stay there. And after I saw her, then what? Keep hiding from Kane for the rest of my life? On four hundred dollars cash?
“I’ll figure something out.” I hoped I sounded more convincing to him than I sounded to myself.
“You got enough money?”
“I’ll manage.”
He fell silent, watching the road, and I leaned back in the passenger seat, my mind skittering like a frightened squirrel. I never did anything without a detailed plan. What the hell had I been thinking? And what the hell was I going to do?
Chapter 13
By the time we arrived in Hope, BC, I had developed as much of a plan as I could. Dave pulled over for food and returned with another bag of grease, and I began to understand why he had the gut. Under the circumstances, I was surprised he wasn’t enormous. I enjoyed the fried chicken, but I couldn’t imagine a steady diet of it.
When I offered him another twenty, he turned it down, shaking his head. “Still got change from lunch.”
“But…”
He shook his head irritably, and I decided not to push it.
As we approached Vancouver, he kept glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, and his bushy eyebrows merged into a single line across his forehead.
At last, he spoke. “Where’re you headed after this?”
“Victoria.”
“Why Victoria?”
“There’s somebody there I have to see.”
He looked me full in the face for the first time in a couple of hours, his expression lightening. “You can stay with them?”
“No.”
“Hmmph.” He frowned at the road some more. Then he shifted in his seat and shot me another sidelong glance. “Look, I’m gonna get a hotel in Vancouver tonight. I don’t have another load ‘til Friday. I could take you to Victoria tomorrow, if you stay with me tonight.”
I hesitated, not exactly sure what he was offering. Or asking for.
A dark flush spread up his neck. “I mean, not like stay with me, for… I meant, a double room. Or you could have the room and I could sleep in the truck.” He shifted again, rubbing the back of his neck and not meeting my eyes. “I’m not trying to…”
“It’s okay. Thanks, Dave, but that’s too much trouble for you. If you could just drop me off at the ferry terminal, that would be great.”
“You know what time the ferries run?”
“No… but it’s only seven o’clock. They wouldn’t stop running this early, would they?”
“Don’t know. Where’re you gonna sleep when you get over there?” he challenged.
“Um…” I cast about for ideas. “There must be… maybe they have a women’s shelter or something?”
He stopped at a red light and turned to face me. “Look, if all you got is what’s in your backpack, things’re gonna be tough. Let me do this for you.” His pale eyes held mine. “You might not believe it right now, but not all guys are bums.”
“Thanks.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “How… how about if you take the room and I sleep in the truck? I don’t want to be seen in a hotel.”
He nodded and fell silent while he navigated the big vehicle expertly through the city traffic. At length, he steered the truck into the parking lot of a freight depot. “Better get in the sleeper again,” he advised. “Gonna be unloading for a while.”
; I obeyed, and perched on the bench seat in the sleeper as he backed the trailer into place. He got out, and thumps and bumps signalled that the unloading process was under way.
When Dave climbed back into the cab, he was smiling. “Made a deal to leave the trailer here. That’ll be easier.”
“Dave, you don’t need to do this…”
“I know.” He fired up the engine again and pulled out.
The next morning, a rap on the driver’s door woke me out of a sodden slumber. I jerked upright with a moment’s disorientation. Awareness returned at the sound of Dave’s voice. “Jane, you decent?”
“Yeah.” I crawled stiffly out of the berth, tugging at the clothes I’d slept in.
Dave poked his head in, accompanied by the smell of shampoo and shaving cream. He looked like an entirely different man, clean-shaven and wearing a clean T-shirt and better-fitting jeans, his wet hair slicked into tidy waves against his head.
I was rubbing the grit out of my eyes when he spoke. “Didn’t check out yet. Thought you might want a shower.”
The thought of a hot shower beckoned like a little slice of heaven. “Ooh…” I tamped down the desire. “I better not. The longer I stay hidden, the better.”
He eyed me sympathetically. “I could let you in the back door. You could wear this. Put the hood up.” He held out a jacket.
“Dave, you’re a prince.”
He reddened and backed out of the cab. “Watch for me at the back door,” he said gruffly.
I slipped on the oversized jacket and pulled up the hood. In a few minutes, the back door of the hotel opened and Dave waved. I grabbed my backpack and scampered across the parking lot, my heart pounding foolishly. Who the heck was going to see me and recognize me? Jeez, what a moron.
I breathed again when the door of the hotel room closed behind me.
When I emerged from the steamy bathroom feeling human again, I discovered that Dave had ordered room service. There was a plate of bacon and eggs, but he’d also ordered a fruit cup and some yogurt.
“Thought you might want that,” he muttered when I thanked him profusely. “Seemed like a girl thing.”
I tried to pay him, but he wouldn’t accept anything. After a short wrangle, I gave up.
I let out a deep sigh as we pulled away from the hotel. I couldn’t believe my luck in finding an ally like Dave. Even Hellhound wouldn’t have been able to help me this much. I wondered if Kane would be watching him in case I made contact. My heart lurched at the thought.
By eleven A.M., we were parked in a quiet semi-residential area across from a low, institutional-looking building.
Dave’s eyebrows rose. “A nursing home? What’re you gonna do in there?”
“I have to see my aunt. I just have to ask her a few questions. Then…” I scrubbed my hands over my face, trying to summon up some usable plan. “I don’t know. I’ll figure something out.”
Perched on the edge of the seat, I scanned the building, the parking lot, and as much of the grounds as I could see. What if Kane was lying in wait for me? Or what if he had someone else in place, someone I didn’t recognize? They’d be on me before I even knew it.
Dave frowned at me. “You think he might be here?”
I clasped trembling hands around my backpack. “Maybe. She’s the only family I have left. She’d be easy to find.”
“Want me to come in with you?”
“No. Thanks, Dave. This is where we part ways. The further away you are, the safer it is for you. In fact,” I hesitated, trying to phrase this right. “Don’t tell anybody you saw me. And if anybody asks you directly, tell them I threatened you at gunpoint and forced you to drive me.”
“What?” He gaped at me. “No!”
“I’m sure it won’t happen. But if it does, that’s what you tell them, okay?”
“No! I won’t lie and get you in trouble with the law!”
“Dave, if it comes to that, it’ll be the least of my worries.” I surveyed the area one last time and reached for the door handle. “Thanks again. Take care.”
“Wait!” He dug into his pocket. “Here.” He thrust a crumpled handful of bills at me.
“Dave, thanks, but I have money.”
“Not enough to get you by. I saw your wallet.”
“No, really, I’m fine.” I gently pushed his hand away. “Thanks anyway.”
He frowned and dug into his pocket again. “Take this then.” He handed me a dog-eared business card. “You call me if you ever need help.”
My heart swelled. “Thanks, Dave.” I impulsively leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re a great guy. Now get out of here.” I opened the door and swung down from the cab before I could have second thoughts.
Scurrying into the nursing home, I tried to look in all directions at once. The receptionist eyed me disapprovingly, and I sent a silent thanks to Dave for my shower that morning. At least I looked more or less presentable.
“I’m here to see Minnie Kelly.”
“And you are?”
“I’m her niece.” I resisted the urge to glance around and whisper. “Aydan Kelly.”
“This way.”
Sweating already in the overheated air, I followed the nurse’s bulging posterior down the hallway. The decor was Early Grim, nicely rendered in shades of olive and grey. I tried not to shudder at the smell of over-boiled vegetables and antiseptic when we passed the dining room, where several elderly people already hunched over tables. A bullet to the brain didn’t seem like such a bad thing anymore.
The nurse halted outside a half-open door and turned to me. “She’s almost blind, and her mind is not completely sound. She has good days and bad days. She has lunch in half an hour, so I hope you’ll keep it short.”
I blew out a breath through my teeth as she marched away. Yep, a bullet was looking better all the time. A shudder of claustrophobia shook me.
Taking another deep breath, I tapped on the door and stepped into the room. The stringy woman in the bed started and gazed slightly to the left of the door. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Aydan, your niece.”
“Who?”
“Aydan Kelly. Gordon and Nola’s daughter.”
“Gordon? Is he getting into trouble with Roger again? Those two are incorrigible.”
“No, Aunt Minnie, Gordon’s dead. Dad and Uncle Roger are both dead.”
“You wicked girl, what a vicious lie! Why would you say such a thing?”
I pulled a chair up beside her bed and sat. “I’m sorry, Aunt Minnie, Uncle Roger’s been gone for three years. You remember, he had a heart attack?”
“That’s a lie! Roger! Roger, come here this instant! Where is that man? Always involved in some foolishness.” She hoisted herself up in the bed, her eyes focused somewhere in the corner of the room. I couldn’t help twitching when she suddenly jerked around, staring directly at me. “You’re covering up for him, aren’t you? What is he up to? Spit it out, child!”
“No, Aunt Minnie…”
“Who did you say you were?”
I blew out a breath of tense frustration. “Aydan. Gordon and Nola’s daughter.”
She peered into my face from close range, turning her head slightly to the side in an unsettling fashion. “No, you’re not. You’re far too old. Aydan is just a girl.”
“I was. I turned forty-seven a couple of months ago. Time gets on.”
“Who are you? Stop lying to me.”
I sank my aching head into my hands. Time for a new tack. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I was just pretending to be Aydan. I’d like to talk about her, though.”
“Why?” Her suspicious glare might have been more effective if it hadn’t been directed over my right shoulder.
“I’m a friend of hers… her mother’s,” I corrected myself. “My daughter goes to school with Aydan.”
“Oh.” She subsided onto the pillows.
“Have you ever met that man who visits Aydan to do some kind of tests? I think his name i
s Sam Kraus.”
“Santa Claus.” Minnie chuckled. “She calls him Santa Claus. I can’t imagine why. She’s old enough to know there’s no such thing, and he’s a skinny little runt.”
“Do you know what the tests are for?”
“I haven’t a clue. Gordon says the child is gifted, whatever that means. I was shocked when he stopped farming to take that government job. He says he’s making sure Aydan has a future. What’s wrong with being a farmer’s wife? I’d love to be a farmer’s wife. I can’t imagine what I was thinking, marrying a Navy man.”
“What do you suppose he meant… means by Aydan’s future?”
“I’m sure I don’t know. But he dotes on that child. He takes her everywhere with him, and never lets her out of his sight. And do you know…” She leaned forward confidentially. “He taught her to shoot a gun. A gun! Can you imagine? What is the world coming to?”
“Why would he do that?”
“Heaven only knows.”
“Minnie, do you remember when Nola died?” I held my breath.
“Heavens, yes, it was just last year. What a terrible thing. That poor child, left without a mother. And it nearly killed Gordon, too. I honestly think he would have taken his own life if he didn’t have Aydan to take care of.”
I managed to speak around the thickness in my throat. “What happened?”
“A car accident. She drove off the road, and the car exploded when it hit an embankment. Her body was burned beyond recognition.” She wiped her eyes delicately. “So terribly sad.”
“Did anybody see what happened?
“No, there was a driver several miles behind her, but by the time he arrived, the car was completely in flames.” She squinted at me. “Who did you say you were?”
“A friend of Nola’s.”
“Oh, yes. Nola. What a lovely woman. So sad.”
“Do you remember when Gordon died?”
“Gordon isn’t dead. You must be thinking of Gordon Senior, dear.”
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