He turned his head to find her watching him, her expression pensive. He wanted to wipe the haunted look from her eyes. “What are you thinking about?”
“Besides the most amazing sex I’ve ever experienced?”
“Yeah, besides that.” He laughed.
“My sister, the break-in, the fact that while this was a very nice interlude, I still have demons waiting for me at home.” She turned away, giving him her back. “I’m tired of the media hounding me, and I’m tired of looking over my shoulder for an alleged hit man.”
He propped himself against the side of the boat, a sheet draped loosely over his lap. “Lilah, there are two realignments I want you to make in your perspective.”
“What?”
“You are no longer alone in this, and never will be again. Second, none of this shit was your fault, but what you went through is to be expected from that cesspool of a town.”
“That’s easier to say than to accept.” She rotated and scrambled to sit beside him, the sheet pooling around her lap. “The way they hammered me constantly, insinuated it was my doing, the manner in which…”
He instantly smothered her mouth with his. “No, sweetheart, you must get this straight, it was never you.”
In that moment, she seemed so frail, broken, like that little girl lost in the terminal. The need for his vigor, his reassurances shone within her green orbs and touched a part of his soul he thought dormant. He wrapped an arm about her shoulder and drew her closer.
“Understand, Lilah. There are those that have no qualms about using you as fodder or an excuse to take blame, and the people in DC are replete with that attitude. Washington is a piss hole full of little monkeys in clown suits. They have no idea what this nation is about or needs, but they chatter constantly, blaming everyone else for their own incompetence. You were simply a diversion, an excuse to redirect attention from their ineptness to solve the case. I’m surprised they didn’t threaten to toss you in jail and lose the key.”
“They did, they really did. I was so scared. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but they wouldn’t believe me.”
“I’m not surprised. You were wounded, frail, no political clout, easy pickings for that pack of jackals. I know it sounds insensitive, and I’m sorry about that, but your husband was an ass. No real man treats his wife, or any woman in that manner. My second piece of advice is you vanquish any guilt for his passing; guy was a waste of skin and bone.”
“Did you know him?”
“Only from afar.”
“How?”
Reece scratched three fingers across his forehead a few times. “Back at the bar, when you stated your Ex was a senator, I recalled news reports from one side of the political spectrum that touted the man as a saint, while the other leaked his record of indiscretions and even stories of alleged funds misuse from his campaign account. Fact is, Lilah, I think the party in control wanted to redirect attention from the rumors before the truth came out, and you were just a convenient scapegoat to insert in the crosshairs. They’ve done it before, used someone as a patsy to protect their own interest. Who better to use as a red herring than someone who had no clout to fight back?”
Lilah twisted the sheet between tense fingers. “I never thought of that. At the time, I wondered why the agents investigating the case hounded me about irrelevant stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Everything I said they twisted around. Did I feel like the jilted wife, why was I conveniently out of town on the night of the murder, what did I do with the senator’s pistol. Hell, I didn’t even know he had a gun in the apartment.”
“Didn’t you have a lawyer with you?” He hated to think she’d been alone during this time.
“Yes, a friend of Ben’s from his old company offered to provide console.”
“What’d he say during the interrogation?”
“”Very little. I kept looking at him; he’d smile and encourage me to answer their questions. Then when they advised I not talk to the press, he suggested that was a wise strategy. The maneuver never stopped the media from hovering over me like vultures. It’s one of the reasons why I came down here once they said I could leave the area.”
“How expedient for them.” The bitter tone crept into his voice unbidden. “I take back what I said before.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s no doubt to me someone up there wanted a pawn to redirect the eye of the media away from your husband. It wasn’t a case of incompetence, rather cooperation. DC jobs are very lucrative; those leeches will do anything to keep control of our purse strings. Every time one of them gets suspected of skullduggery, all their cronies step to their defense. It’s the nature of parasites to help one another.”
“Are you saying they were involved in the murder?”
“Not likely. True, most are lower than serpent shit up there. They lie, bribe, try to use their positions against women; but it takes a warped fortitude to kill someone. They all lack spine in that town of jellyfish.” Reece rotated his stare. “Lilah, you were set up. That’s why you were never charged with anything. They only wanted to scare you. If the case went to court, too much chance other snakes would be turned out of the manure pile.”
“So you think they were right; it was just a botched robbery?”
Reece issued a sinister grin. “Is that what you believe?”
Without hesitation, “No.”
“Of course not. We each have a voice that evaluates the logic of all conflicts we encounter, and when those hairs stand up on your neck, there’s typically just cause. Everything points to an orchestrated hit.”
She didn’t respond with words, rather a nod.
Reece pointed at the deck with a finger as if he were pulling the trigger of a pistol. “One shot to the forehead of both victims, now what damn thief is going to be so precise in the midst of a break in? Then there’s the lack of any actual property lost. The feds had to see it. They’re corrupt, but not blind. Everything was so nicely swept off the radar screen. Tells me they weren’t surprised it wasn’t a random break in.”
He waited for his accusation to sink in before adding, “And you knew, or at least suspected, didn’t you, Sweetheart?”
“Yes – but not at first. After lying alone at night in my bed, staring at the ceiling, eventually I began to wonder if there was more than the scenario offered by the feds. Then the calls started.”
“The what?”
“A couple of times a week the phone would ring, but when I answered, no one was there; just silence before a click in the receiver. I disconnected my landline from the wall, pre screened my cell, and late in the evening when the lights were off, I’d hear someone knock then jingle the door handle. Once they even tried to break the chain lock.”
“Jesus. Lilah. Didn’t you call the police?”
“Of course I did.”
“And?”
“It took an hour for them to come. I requested they have someone watch my apartment, and they did for a few weeks, but eventually other priorities demanded their manpower. That’s when I talked to Ashley, and she suggested I relocate to the lake. Now you know. Can we stop talking about it before the evening is spoiled?”
He ignored her suggestion; sure that talking about that night might jar her memory and shed light on missing details. “And now it’s happening again.”
She shifted her legs. “Yes, but this time, the police have a suspect in mind. I had a fax Officer Ames sent, but I think the thief who broke into my home must have found it as it came up missing.”
Sudden anger for the danger surrounding Lilah hit him square in the chest and though he tried, he couldn’t keep the emotion from his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I know. Stupid of me, but at the time, I didn’t want to burden you.”
He mulled over what he knew so far. “A hit man is usually contracted for one of several reasons; the man behind the murder is seeking revenge, is jealous, needs to protect himself
from information the victim possesses, or wants something the victim owns.”
Her face became animated. “And with the recent break in, we can narrow it down to the last two possibilities.”
“Exactly. Did you ever sense or hear your husband was involved in any activities that might justify someone wanting to risk terminal action?”
“Like what?”
“Maybe see some papers left around, or overhear a discussion with – what? Do you remember something?”
“Not sure, but the night I left, I went in to say good-bye, and as I approached the door, I could hear Ben arguing on the phone with someone. When I walked into the room, he stopped the conversation and was more abrupt than normal. Just motioned me out and said we’d talk upon my return.”
“Did you hear any of the conversation?”
“Very little. Just a weird word I didn’t recognize.”
“Like what?”
“That was too long ago and it made no sense.”
He turned on his side and reached for her hand. “Just try to remember, Lilah. What did it sound like? It could be relevant to solving this puzzle.”
“This isn’t one of your mystery novels, Reece.” She snapped. “It’s my life we’re talking about.”
He pulled her hands back. “No, Sweetheart. This is our life now. You’re not alone in this quagmire anymore, but if I’m going to help us, I need to know everything.”
She sighed. “It started with the letter ’O’ and sounded foreign.”
“Like what?”
“Something like Ogrin, or Oghman?”
“You don’t mean Oghma?”
Lilah craned her head. “Yes…yes that’s the word.”
Reece focused on the pebbled texture of the white ceiling. “No, it can’t be.”
“What?”
“It just can’t be. It’s too quirky, like fate playing one of her crazy tricks.”
“Damn it, Reece. What is it?”
“Oghma was a deity from Celtic or pagan mythology. He controlled the realm of knowledge and insight into the unknown where moral man could not see. The Scots and Irish even created a literary alphabet based on that belief.”
“How do you know all this folklore stuff?”
Reece smiled. “Like I told you before, I’ve always been into mystery and intrigue. What could be more of an enigma than ancient myths, like the origin of the moai carvings on Easter Island, or why so many primitive cultures, including Native Americans, held such reverence for the star cluster Pleiades in their rituals.”
“Is that it? You came across the name in reading one of your novels?”
Reece shook his head. “No, that’s just an aside. When I flew for the Navy, my primary mission was ASW.”
“What’s that?”
“Sorry, Anti Submarine Warfare. Just before I got passed over, I was placed on temporary assignment to support a special project.”
“What kind of project?”
“NUWC, the Naval Underwater Warfare Center, in cooperation with NAVAIR, was conducting a proof-of-concept prototype for a new sub surface acoustic detection technology, and I was directed to fly initial test runs of the unit before it advanced from pure research to development. The technology and specs are still classified Top Secret. Let’s just say, it amplified the ability of sonar-based devices to isolate and home in on the bad guys.”
“What’s this have to do…”
Reece held up two fingers. “Guess what the name of the project was?”
“No.” Her eyes widened.
“Yes, Oghma. They chose that handle because the device was designed to provide knowledge in the realm normally hidden from man, the world beneath the sea and from long distances.”
“I don’t understand. What does all this have to do with me, or Ben’s murder?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s nothing more than coincidence, or maybe you misheard what your husband said. Do you remember the name of your Ex’s previous employer?”
“No. It was a technology company involved in electronics and located in Olney Maryland. Ben was Co-owner until he sold out and entered politics.”
“What about the name of his partner?”
“Pierce Ackland. He remained a personal friend and contributor to Ben’s campaign.”
Reece combed four fingers back and forth through the waves of his hair.
“What is it?”
“Why does that sound so damn familiar? Wait a minute… Son of a bitch!”
“What?”
“I once met one of the presidents for the Company. Toward the end of our test flights, he and a few high level government executives flew out to the carrier to interview my flight crew directly. I swear the owner was named Ackland.”
They locked on the other’s face as if each were attempting to decipher a distant echo of overlapping voices.
“Oh My God.” Lilah’s eyes grew wide, her face alight with some hidden knowledge.
“What is it?”
“Pierce was the one that suggested my lawyer. Even said not to worry, he’d cover all the expenses.”
“The bastard.” Reece slammed the mattress with his fist.
“What?”
“Damn, Lilah. Don’t you think all these connections, the way the authorities handled the case, conveniently left it unsolved, suggested you not talk to the press, the phone calls; shit, everything about this smells like the DC Blue Plains treatment plant in August. A bit too much coincidence, don’t you agree?”
“You’re – you’re right. I can’t believe it. The answer was right there all along, and I never linked the dots.”
“That’s because the horror of Ben’s murder had all your attention. But you know now, and we have the advantage.”
“How so?”
“The king pins driving these events must think they’re safe and off the radar screen, but they don’t know that we just partially opened the door to their little secret.”
“I see what you mean.” With a tone of excitement, she continued, “So what do we do next?”
“Friday, a week from now, I have a three-hour layover at Regan airport in Washington. I’ll call my old buddy, Charlie Simpson. He’s a Navy captain, and I think he’s on a joint assignment at the Defense Contracts Auditing Agency. He served as our JAG detachment when he was a commander aboard ship. I’ll have lunch with him and ask if he can check out a few things for us, then we’ll know where to go from there.”
Lilah’s ribcage expanded, as if a massive weight had just been lifted off her chest. She reached behind his neck and brought their lips together then whispered, “Thank you.”
Reece smiled. “What for?”
“For being who you are and caring enough to help me. I feel so relieved from knowing now I wasn’t crazy, and for not being alone in my life anymore.”
“Good, keep that sparkle in those pretty green irises, cause I’m about to blow your mind.”
“You already have.” The seductive gleam was back in her eyes.
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. I have a little treasure from your past.” He scrambled from the bed and trotted up the steps to the stern.
“A what?” she called from below.
Reece reached inside the built-in cooler and extracted a small cube shaped box. “It’s a unique delight prepared just for you.”
He returned with his prize and handed the delicacy to her. “Go ahead, open it.”
Lilah unwrapped the ribbon like a child on Christmas morning and stopped once she peered inside. “I haven’t seen one of these in years. How did you know?”
He removed the rectangular multi-wafer pastry and fed her a bite. “Your mother.”
Reece wiped the inner puffy Custer from Lilah’s chin with his finger.
“My mother?”
He extended his coated appendage and waited while she licked it clean like a lollipop. “The other day when I learned Mrs. Johnson was your mom, I recalled one of our many conversations about her daughter Lilah
and her favorite treat as a child; a Napoleon. I stopped by Mary’s pastry this afternoon and picked up your dessert fresh from the oven.”
“Too bad there’s no milk to top it off.”
“Wait here.” Reece left again and reached into the cooler for the cold thermos he’d packed. He returned to find her licking the crumbs from her fingers.
God, she’s beautiful.
He pulled himself from his momentary daze. “Here ya go. Mrs. Johnson noted it was the only way she could get you to drink your milk.”
She swallowed two large gulps of cow juice, wiped her cream smeared mouth clean of the white beverage, and graciously opened both lips for another bite, to which he gladly obliged. Lilah closed her eyes as if she were in the throngs of orgasmic bliss and moaned in delight. “I didn’t realize that store had them, otherwise I would have gained twenty pounds since I arrived here.”
“They don’t normally. I called yesterday after my morning flight and told the owner I had a special date with my sweetheart and how I’d like to astonish her. The old woman said she’d be happy to play cupid and impress my girl. Well, is it working?”
Lilah downed the final morsel. “Yes,” then sucked the gooey white and chocolate icing from one finger before moving to the next, “it is.”
She peered at him, her eyes hooded. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For this,” she said, spreading her arms wide. “For being my rock, for everything.”
He climbed back into bed and straddled her legs. “Thank you.”
“For?”
He pressed a kiss on her temple and trailed lower to her cheek and lips. “For this. For making me feel alive again. For – for everything.”
Twenty Two
Lilah couldn’t believe she’d spent almost two whole days in Reece’s company. The time had gone by so quickly. She glanced at her sailor-slash-pilot and smiled. “I’m not sure I want today to end.”
“Me either.” He looped the lines around a cleat, securing the Jenny May to her small dock. “Another night spent out under the stars would have been heaven. Too bad I have a late flight tonight.”
Distant Obsession Page 14