Trove (The Katie Walsh Mysteries)

by KJ Montgomery

  She whirled and faced him, her hands planted on her hips in defiance. She was fighting back tears, tears born of stress and fear and hatred for this murderer. For once in her life she wished she was a man. As a man, she’d fight him, whether she was freed or not. His sheer size stopped her cold in her tracks. It was one thing to take down a hundred-and-fifty-pound punk with Willie nearby, but this guy was just way too big. She swallowed a sob. “I’ve completed it. There’s not a damn thing I can do if you don’t like it,” she snapped as she stomped outside into the warm late afternoon sun. She noted its position in the sky. Assuming they were still on Skye, the light and the pounding surf would place them on the west side… near Duntulm? She allowed herself a moment’s hope that Alec would look for her. Her hope faded as she remembered that she’d left without any word. He had no idea where she was, no idea how to find her since she smashed her cell phone to smithereens in a fit, and no idea that she’d been abducted. “I’m sorry, Alec, so sorry.” she whispered into the wind. There was still hope though. Eric was supposed to send the GPS coordinates to Alec. Surely he’d start looking there. Eric had said the coordinates were near Duntulm. If she could get to the top of cliff…

  She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and watched as Drew approached. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her midriff, pulling them tighter as he neared. She had a suspicion he wasn’t going to let her go just yet and if he took her glasses as he promised, she couldn’t go.

  “Can’t you leave me alone for more than a few minutes? I told you I don’t like helicoptering. I obviously can’t leave so why can’t you give me some breathing room?”

  He held out a jacket. “I thought you might need this. The wind starts to pick up this time of day.”

  He was right. It was getting colder as the sun slipped lower. She reached for it and slipped her arms through it. He turned and headed back to the cottage. When she saw him close the door, she walked toward the path. She bit her lip and tried to figure him out. He’d abducted her and kept her prisoner yet he was worried about her getting cold.

  She studied the landscape. “I wish Eric were here or I could reach him. There must have been violent upheavals of the earth’s crust. It almost looks like this may have been an active volcanic area at some time in the past. Could this place be riddled with ancient lava tubes? That might explain the rock-strewn hillside where we’re hidden. Or maybe an opening large enough to conceal myself in.” She glanced around hoping to find some sharp rocks or ones she could fashion into a point without much noise.

  An idea popped into her head as she walked. Could Drew have carried her down the narrow pathway without injury to both her and him? It didn’t seem possible as she surveyed the trail. There had to be another path he used, but where was it? She recalled how, when they were in Portree, he’d thrown her duffel bag into a car. Where was the car? Was it on top of the cliff? Would a deserted car raise questions to the locals? Or was it hidden somewhere nearby? She raised her hand to her throbbing temple. Her lack of sleep, coupled with the chloroform still polluting her system, was beginning to wear on her mentally and physically. She leaned over and sat on a boulder to rest.

  Katie thought about the last few days and how she’d ended up here in this god-awful situation. Alec lied to her and she reacted in her usual fashion when it came to him. She ran. Instead of facing him and talking it out, she pushed back, pushed him away and locked herself down. Again justifying her actions as a righteous reaction to his betrayal. She’d just tossed him out, written him off as another person that disappointed her in her sorry excuse for a life. Sure she was relatively successful in her career, but when it came to personal relationships she’d failed miserably. She cringed as she remembered her conversation with Dr. Austin. He’d told her she didn’t have any relationship issues because she didn’t have any relationships. “If I were to die now my tombstone would read ‘Katie Walsh, investigative mythologist’. No ‘beloved wife’ or ‘mother’ or ‘lover’.” She choked back a sob. “That’s not what I want.”

  It had always been so easy to kick people to the proverbial curb when they inevitably disappointed or hurt her. She’d never once looked back when she’d made the decision to jettison them because she never emotionally engaged with them, but that wasn’t true with him. She had connected with him. She needed to run to the curb and reclaim her treasure. She wanted Alec. She needed Alec. She loved Alec. And this was something new for her. That’s really why she ran. He scared her. She was ready to cede control to him, let him be the leader she knew he was, at least with respect to her heart. The man she wanted. She choked down another sob as she finally realized that she’d never ever thought she’d find someone she wanted in her life, someone to love and to love her.

  She was beginning to dislike the shallow person she’d become. Not noble, not intelligent, but self-focused and to her detriment. Had it really been less than a week since he came roaring back into her life and turned it upside down, inside out? She’d never felt so challenged, so alive. She even opened up and told him about her nightmare, something she’d never done before, not even with Laura. And then it all went wrong. She had to find a way to make it right. She’d turn her dogged determination into an all-out effort to change, from the bottom up, from the inside out.

  Katie turned to catch the fading warmth of the sun. It was that night, Thursday night when they’d been out watching the sunset and the stars rise. She’d told him who her parents were, Anna and Lincoln Walsh, and what had happened to them. He admitted he’d met them, but he said he never made the connection with her, not until that night.

  She wiped the tears with the back of her hand, tears that were streaming down her cheeks, dripping in her lap, washing over her like the rolling surf on the shore below. Alec had distanced himself from her that night and for the next few days. But it was she who wouldn’t leave him alone when he asked her to. She had cajoled him into making love to her even after he said he needed space to sort things out. He was trying to keep his distance. While he knew Josh’s relation to her, he needed her to finish the translation so that he could draw out the murderer. His motives weren’t selfish. Yet she’d acted like the hurt, petulant child that she was and she left. Without a word. She who demanded people be direct, speak their minds. That had to work both ways or it didn’t work.

  Katie inhaled sharply. Dr. Austin was right. She was damaged. “I will change. I don’t know how, but I will,” she whispered into the rising wind as she drew her knees up, wrapped her arms around them, laid her head on top of her knees, and let the tension flow out of her body.

  ****

  Katie heard him calling her name. Slowly she raised her head, massaging the pain in her neck. When had she turned into such an emotional mess? She hadn’t cried this much in all the years since her parents’ deaths. Who they hell was Katie Walsh? She glanced over her shoulder and saw Drew approaching cautiously, a flashlight beam preceding him in the twilight.

  “Hey, time to come in. It’s getting colder and you haven’t had anything to eat today. I can’t let you to get sick.”

  “That wasn’t my fault.” She started to rise, suddenly aware of her hunger and the fact that she hadn’t developed an escape plan. He offered his arm and she took it, the stiffness having shifted from her neck to her torso. She shivered slightly, trying to loosen her muscles. “You’re a terrible warden. You didn’t even deliver the coffee you promised this morning.” She had to convince him that she wasn’t a threat. She had to play the part of helpless little female while she formulated a way out of this quickly as it was apparent he wasn’t going to let her go even though she’d handed him the translation.

  She cringed as she remembered she’d promised the translation to another. She’d promised her robo-caller she’d send him the translation as soon as she completed it, but there was no way she could do it now. There wasn’t even an internet connection. How long did she have before word got out that Drew had the translation?
Could she contact him and explain? Would he hold off on releasing the video until she could speak with Dr. Austin to resign and save the reputation of the Institute?

  “Just so you know, I get cranky without my daily fix of caffeine,” she said.

  He arched an eyebrow, his expression visible in the soft light glowing from the cottage. “You don’t say.”

  She shrugged and followed him back to the cottage. She slipped the jacket off and sat in front of the fire he’d lit. Her nose twitched. “What’s that smell?” She leaned closer to the fire. “What exactly are you burning in there? It has a rather… earthy odor. Is it dung? ”

  “No, it’s not. But as you may have noticed, there is a lack of hardwood forests nearby.”

  “I haven’t seen much in case you forgot. My world has been limited to this little…” She searched for the word, as she waved her hand, but it wouldn’t come.

  “Point taken. It’s peat, decayed vegetation. That’s the earthy smell you find so offensive.”

  “I didn’t say it was offensive. I’m just used to wood fires. Don’t twist my words into something other than what I intended.”

  “Forgive me, Princess,” he said, his tone harsh as he headed into the kitchen.

  ****

  She had to admit the simple supper he laid out on the table was delicious or maybe it was because the last food she’d had was about twenty-four hours ago. The fish stew was a close cousin to New England chowder, though not as thick, and he had crusty French type bread to go with it. She briefly considered that the bread might be stale, but as long as there wasn’t mold growing on it, she’d eat it.

  He smiled at her as she dipped and swirled her bread in the stew before sucking the wet end in her mouth.

  “What’s so amusing?” She could feel something building inside her. Was her head clearing enough that the full impact of who this man was and what impact he had on her life finally bubbling to the surface?

  “You. I know I’m not a gourmet cook, but watching you almost lap that up like a cat. Most people I know would slather it with butter, using the bread like a butter delivery system.”

  She shook her head. “It just screams to be dunked, what with all those nooks and crannies. It’s just perfect for sopping up liquid. It’s like Italian bread and pasta sauce. You don’t need anything else. Butter would only interfere.”

  He picked up a slice and tried it. “You’re right. And to think I’ve been doing it wrong all these years.”

  At the mention of time passing, she set her spoon down and pushed the mostly eaten bowl away. She was tired and should just head to bed but she couldn’t stop herself. “Do you feel any remorse?”

  “About what? Abducting you? I told you I’m a desperate man. This may well be my last chance, my final grab at the brass ring.”

  Katie shook her head. “No, that’s not what I’m referring to. I’m talking about the people who died at the excavation in Peru.”

  He leaned back and studied her, his eyes narrowed, focused. “So, you know who I am.” He laid his palms against the table edge. “I was warned you were clever as well as smart. When did you figure it out?”

  “When you told me you discovered the runes. Alec told me Josh had discovered the runes. It was then I remembered seeing a picture of you with blond hair and holding a striper. It was in Alec’s office. It took me a bit longer to convince myself it was really you. So,” she bit out, “do you feel anything close to remorse for what happened ten years ago when you killed my parents?” He was warned I was clever. Who the hell did that? Was it Alec?

  He lifted one arm, draped it over the back of his chair. “I’m not the cold-hearted bastard that I’ve been made out to be.”

  Katie crossed her arms. “That’s what they all say. Unfortunately for you there was an investigation. You were determined to be negligent. And yet”—she flipped her hand out towards him—“here you are, free as a bird.”

  He pulled his arm from the back of the chair and slammed it on the table.

  She flinched, recoiling from the threat and him as he leaned towards her.

  “Free? You think I’m free?” He uttered a pathetic laugh. “I’ve lived in the shadows every day since that disaster, disowned by everyone, discarded like garbage.”

  “My heart bleeds for you.”

  “What would you say if I told you I wasn’t responsible?”

  “I’d say you’re delusional, maybe even self-absorbed enough to blame the victims for your… misfortune.”

  He shrugged. “What if I show you evidence that I was set up?”

  “Oh, please. I was born on a Thursday, but not last Thursday. Let me tell you something. I don’t like people who don’t take responsibility for their actions. They’re cowards and I don’t like cowards.”

  His eyes were mere slits, adding to the menace permeating the cottage.

  Katie swallowed as she saw something in his eyes, something that flashed quickly yet made her feel compassion. What the hell is wrong with me, she thought. I must still be shaking off the drug. She looked away and then back again. Whatever it was it was gone, replaced by an icy steeliness.

  He shrugged and sighed. “You’re no different than all the others.”

  She scowled. “What’s that crack supposed to mean?”

  He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Coward,” she stated matter-of-factly. “What are you afraid of?”

  He cleared the table. Katie shook her head vigorously. “You claim you’re innocent, and when I don’t believe it, you… you just drop it. Why don’t you try to convince me, see if your arguments and logic stand up to scrutiny? Or are you really a born-loser, willing to stake your salvation on a millennium-old etching on a stone sentinel?”

  Katie watched him as he studied her, each sizing up the other. She could sense the inner war he was waging. She could tell he wanted to say something. “Look, I’m here and apparently I’m not leaving anytime soon and I can tell that you want to get something off your chest so…” She inhaled, not quite believing what she was about to say, knowing the pain of her parents’ deaths had festered inside her for years as she refused to deal with it. “Why don’t you tell me why you think you’re not responsible.”

  He pulled a glass off the shelf. “Would you like a scotch?” he asked as he grabbed a full bottle.

  “No thanks.”

  He strode toward the table, sat in the chair opposite her and filled his glass with the amber liquid. He raised it to his mouth, took a quick sip, swallowed then set the glass on the table between his hands. “I want you to know this, Katie.” He captured her stare and held it before he continued. “I am truly sorry about what happened in Peru. I have never forgotten the damage that the survivors and their families suffer each and every day. If I could go back and change the outcome, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

  “It wasn’t just the survivors who were damaged,” Katie said as she dropped her hands into her lap. “You have no idea how my life’s been impacted.” She dropped her gaze from his, trying to break the connection and distance herself. It wasn’t easy. She felt something, felt he might be telling the truth regardless of the guilt that hung around his neck like a boulder.

  He said, “Ten years ago I had the brass ring in my hand. I saw myself as a real-life Indiana Jones and my colleagues did too. I was young, attractive, smart, and I confess, a bit of a narcissist.” She cocked an eyebrow. “My career and reputation were not on a fast-track. They were on a rocket soaring into the stratosphere. I was unstoppable, at least in my mind.” He tilted his head. “Have you ever had that feeling, that you’re invincible?”

  She shook her head and softly replied, “No, I can’t say that I ever have.”

  He took another swig of scotch and then rolled the glass back and forth between his hands. “I’d just been awarded excavation rights in Honduras. See, I’d discovered a Mayan temple hidden deep in the jungle. It was completely overgrown. It actually was mistaken for a small mountain on th
e map I had. But my research led me to believe there should be a temple in the area. I did a cursory exam of the site and a bit more research to substantiate my claim and then submitted the documents to the authorities. I figured I’d have to wait a year or two before I could get permission to proceed with an excavation.”

  “Is that normal, that it would take that long to get approvals?”

  He nodded. “Most excavation permits take much longer so two years would be considered rather quick, but not unheard of.” He refilled his glass, tilting the bottle towards her. “Sure you don’t want some?”

  “No thanks. I don’t really like anything but vodka.”

  “But vodka has no taste.”

  “Exactly,” Katie replied and smiled for a moment as she remembered that she had this conversation with Alec when she first met him.

  He chuckled. “To each their own poison,” he said as he lifted the glass high in the air as a salute before returning it to his lips and taking a deep drink. “It had been about a month since I submitted my documents when I received a phone call from a man who said he could get my permits approved within a week. I thought this guy was either a crackpot or looking to make some fast money and at that time. I didn’t have money to grease the wheels. So I did what any normal person would do, I hung up.” He rubbed the stubble on his chin, the sound reminding her of skin sweeping across sandpaper. “Damn, I need a shave.”

  “So, what happened? He must have contacted you again or this would be a non-story.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. He did contact me. Actually he sent a limo for me. The driver, a huge ex-con, told me I was being summoned.”

  “And you just went with him?” Katie asked, shaking her head.

  “Believe me, there was no arguing with this guy. I was getting in the limo conscious or unconscious.”

  She shuddered, thinking of gorilla man in the North End and how, if Alec hadn’t been there...

  “He dropped me off at The Wind Jammer restaurant where I was escorted to a private dining room, to the man who would literally change my life. He reeked of restrained power, if you know what I mean. I had an overwhelming sense that he got what he wanted, and if he didn’t, then he made sure no else got it either.” He took another mouthful of the scotch, seeming to savor the aged liquid before swallowing. “To make a long story short, he would invest in me and my career. Make me the superstar I was destined to be. He was giving me all the resources I would need to make it happen and happen quickly.”