by Linda Wisdom
“I was damn grateful I didn’t get that case. It’s tricky to prove the parents are at fault. If I remember correctly, Larry has that one.”
“He does. But it was Judge Burns who informed me the next time to come to his court dressed in a ladylike manner. I’d shown up in a pantsuit and I was told I would wear a knee length skirt or dress next time. During my testimony, he never called me ‘Doctor,’ but addressed me as Mrs. Hunter the couple times he asked me to clarify something, and he was so old-world stuffy that I was ready to hit him.” She made a face. “Unfortunately, I made a smart remark under my breath that next time I’d show up in my crinolines, and he didn’t appreciate it.”
Josh chuckled. “I’m sure he didn’t. The last few times I’ve seen Larry, he’s been muttering to himself. He says his blood pressure has probably tripled since the case began. He figures the way his luck is going, he’d probably have a stroke right there in the courtroom. And get slapped with a contempt charge for staging courtroom dramatics. I told him if he’s worrying so much, he should get some pointers from Ted. That guy is a genius when it comes to doing anything theatrical and outlandish.”
“There was a judge in LA,” Lauren began a story that soon had the two of them laughing. It wasn’t long before they forgot the real reason behind this trip.
By agreement, they chose the coastal route instead of driving inland to Solvang. During the drive they continued to trade courtroom war stories. As a forensic pathologist, Lauren had spent more than her share of time in court, giving expert testimony, and could offer a different perspective from Josh’s.
“I’ve spent enough time in courtrooms to know I’m much happier in pathology. Especially when the cops are badgering my office for reports on posts not even performed yet or demanding them within the next few hours. But since I have a habit of discussing my work in very clinical terms, they tend to leave me pretty much on my own.”
“Now I know where to hide out when I need peace and quiet.”
“You’ll be fine as long as you move around every so often so we don’t think you’re one of our residents,” she assured him.
They soon reached Santa Barbara and took the mountain route to Solvang. As Josh drove the winding road, he couldn’t help keeping an occasional eye on the rearview mirror. Especially since a dark-colored truck had been keeping pace with them since they’d left the highway. Traffic had been fairly heavy the closer they’d gotten to Santa Barbara, so he hadn’t noticed it before.
“I thought we were going to leave our worries back home.” Lauren’s quiet voice startled him.
“I have.”
“Liar.”
“Are you calling me, an officer of the court, a liar?” He opted to keep it light.
She looked at him with a strange calm. “With the side view mirror on this side, I can see that truck back there, too, Josh. The first time I noticed it, it was on the highway about fifty miles before we reached Santa Barbara. The windows are tinted so we have no idea who the driver is, and there’s no plate on the front. Most of the time he stays too far back for us to get any kind of identification.”
He put his foot down a bit more on the accelerator. The car shot forward. Right about now, he’d welcome a cop pulling him over for speeding. “Then you’ve observed more than I have. There’s no guarantee the truck has anything to do with us. He might be going to the same place and decided on the same route.”
“That’s right.” Her eyes flicked toward the mirror again, then to the other side and downward, to where the cellular phone was nestled. “At least, we have a way to call for help.”
Josh’s expression was grim. “Maybe not. When there are mountains around, the reception can be between lousy if not zip.”
The silence around them grew tense as they each glanced in a mirror to see where the truck was. They didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until it turned off onto a private road.
Josh exhaled a heavy breath of air. “Looks like our imaginations were working overtime.”
Her own body slumped. “I thought I’d left it all behind. That the minute we reached the freeway I could forget about her. I can’t believe I was so wrong.”
He took his hand off the steering wheel and grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers through his. “You and me both.”
But the tension didn’t completely disappear until they were out of the mountains and Lauren gave him directions when they reached the outskirts of Solvang, California’s piece of Denmark.
“Dave and his wife, Chloe, moved out here and started their bed-and-breakfast after Dave retired,” she explained. “He was a federal prosecutor in Sacramento. They decided they wanted a quiet life after the fast pace of the big city. They used to spend a lot of time down this way and decided years ago this was where they’d retire to.”
A name tapped the back of his mind. “David Sinclair?”
Lauren nodded.
He emitted a low whistle. “You know some pretty heavy-duty people.”
“Actually, Dave and Chloe are friends of my parents,” she explained. “Chloe and my mother met in college and became immediate close friends. They were each other’s main attendants at their weddings and the men soon became good friends, too. They’re also Dana’s parents. My parents come up here a few times a year and I have an open invitation.”
“And they don’t mind that you’re bringing someone?”
She smiled. “Don’t you mean, bringing a man I’m not married to?”
“Yeah. Is it going to bother them, or pardon me for being crass, have you done this before?”
“Don’t worry about the pressure about being first.” She suddenly pointed to her left. “Turn there, at the sign.”
He slowed down to read the sign carved in the shape of a sun. “Sunshine Hollow?”
Lauren wrinkled her nose. “Unfortunately, that’s been the inn’s name for the last sixty years, when the original owners opened it up and they requested the name stay the same. Dave and Chloe agreed.
“It’s at the base of the hills. There are six bungalows set around the property so there’s maximum privacy. They have a few horses for anyone who wants to try the trails nearby, a pool, and a large patio for those who don’t want to do anything more than vegetate,” she explained.
Josh slowed as he neared the end of the circular driveway. “Where are Kevin and Sharon this weekend?”
“They’re in La Jolla, at a small and very nice beachside resort I heard about.”
As Josh helped Lauren out of the car, a couple emerged from the front of the Spanish-style house and Josh got a good look at the man who was once known as the most intimidating federal prosecutor in the state.
“Lauren, how good to see you!” The woman threw her arms around her for a big hug. She stepped back and gave Josh an assessing look. “I’m glad to see you finally got some sense. He’s a marked improvement over Ron.”
Lauren shook her head in exasperation. “You’ve been talking to Dana.”
“Of course we have. She’s our daughter.” Chloe Sinclair turned to Josh and held out her hand. “Hello, Josh, welcome to our home. I’m Chloe, the old man over there is Dave, and if Lauren has brought you up here, you must be all right.”
He was immediately charmed by her slight Southern accent and beauty he saw as lush in Dana and matured in Chloe. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”
“Old man,” Dave scoffed, coming forward with his hand outstretched. The man was tall, with iron-gray hair and sun-creased wrinkles etched in his face; Josh could see why he had been considered a formidable opponent in court. “I hear you’re an ADA. We’ll have to talk shop after dinner.”
Chloe was incensed. She advanced on Dave, poking her forefinger in his chest. “You will not! These two are here to relax, not to talk about who had the craziest court case. I’ll tell you one thing, the last thing Lauren and I intend to do is sit at the kitchen table and trade autopsy stories.”
Lauren held up her hands. “All right, you two, back to your co
rners.” She looked at Josh. “Don’t worry, they do this all the time.”
“Hell, sometimes it’s more fun than television.” Dave winked at Josh. “Come on, I’ll help you get your luggage inside. Bungalow four, Chloe?”
She nodded. “Now, don’t worry, I’ll make sure Dave doesn’t intrude on your weekend,” she assured Josh. “He used to hate to talk about the law. It was a forbidden subject at home. Then he retired, and like an old fire dog, the minute he meets a lawyer, he has to talk shop.”
“She always makes me sound worse than I am.”
“Considering your conviction record, I wouldn’t apologize.”
Chloe playfully clapped a hand over her husband’s mouth and pointed him toward the suitcases. “Make yourself useful. Lauren and I are going on ahead.”
The two women walked down the path with the men following.
Chloe lowered her voice. “Any more problems?” Lauren had explained the situation when she’d called to see if a bungalow would be available.
“No, thank God. But we both feel as if it’s nothing more than the calm before the storm. She’s never been this quiet before. That’s why I wanted us to go away, to force her hand. And I knew there isn’t any way she would know about this place.”
“Well, you’re in luck, because there’s only one other couple here, and they’ll be leaving in the morning,” Chloe said. “We thought it was best not to have anyone else around.”
“You didn’t need to do that,” she protested.
She waved away Lauren’s concerns. “We prefer it this way. Besides, we also thought it would be safer.”
Lauren shook her head. “Dave isn’t going to sit up tonight with his twelve-gauge in his lap, is he?”
“Damn right I’ll have that rifle out!” Dave shouted, obviously overhearing her. “An even better one than the twelve-gauge, too.”
“Now he has an AR-18 locked away that he got from one of his cronies,” Chloe explained. “I expect him to pick up a grenade launcher next.”
“She makes me sound like a crazy survivalist when I only believe in protecting my property,” Dave told Josh, as they entered a bungalow that was a smaller replica of the main house.
“We’ll be serving drinks at the usual time on the patio if you’re interested, and you already know you’re more than welcome to have dinner with us,” Chloe told Lauren, giving her another hug before taking her leave.
“I keep the real stuff somewhere else,” Dave told Josh before following his wife.
Lauren dropped onto the couch. “Feeling a bit overwhelmed?”
He slowly turned in a circle, noting the furniture chosen more for comfort than looks. A bathroom could be seen off to one side and a bedroom beyond that. A tiny kitchen was set in one corner with what he discovered had a refrigerator stocked with wine, beer, juice, and soda along with cheeses and crackers in a cabinet.
Lauren tracked his movements. “The couch pulls out into a bed, if you’re feeling a little nervous.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m just trying to figure out how I got to be so lucky. Unless it’s because it’s all on your terms and it makes you feel more at ease with the situation.”
Lauren looked down at her hands lying in her lap. “I suppose I do tend to control things at times.” Since the rape remained unspoken between the two of them.
Josh wanted her to know he understood without voicing it out loud because the last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable.
He sat down beside her. “If I’d known you could come up with a great weekend getaway like this, I’d have wanted you for a travel agent long ago.”
Relief flickered in her eyes as she realized he recognized and understood her reasoning.
“They gave us what I like to call the ‘decadent bungalow.’” She hopped up and grabbed his hand.
“Hey, I was up early today and driving for the past few hours,” he playfully protested.
She walked backward as she pulled him into the bedroom. “Trust me, you won’t mind.”
“Well, sweetheart, I didn’t think you’d be in such a hurry.”
She shook her head. “Keep it tucked in your pants. Counselor.” She allowed him only a glimpse of the king-sized bed with an old-fashioned quilt covering it before she pushed open a patio door and led him outside onto a small walled-in patio. “Voila!” With a dramatic flourish, she gestured to a redwood hot tub. “It’s a great way to relax.”
Josh decided not to remind her he hadn’t brought a bathing suit. With luck she hadn’t brought one, either. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.
“Yeah, I can definitely handle your vacation ideas.”
…
They spent the balance of the afternoon relaxing and snacking on the refrigerator’s contents before changing their clothes and walking toward the main house. Chloe and Dave were already there, seated at a large table and talking to a young couple. Several open bottles of wine were on a serving cart, along with snacks. Chloe made the introductions, merely saying Lauren and Josh were family friends, and indicated two empty chairs.
“The Parkers are from Oregon and on their honeymoon,” Chloe confided to Lauren.
Lauren soon discovered the new Mrs. Parker was a kindergarten teacher, seemed to possess an incredible amount of energy, and talked nonstop. The foursome were relieved when the young couple left for town and dinner out.
“An excellent reason why we run a bed and breakfast and don’t have to worry about serving dinner,” Chloe chuckled, refilling Lauren’s wineglass.
“You have no idea who the woman is?” Dave’s voice floated across the patio.
“David,” his wife warned. “You promised.”
“Hell, maybe I can come up with something no one else has been able to think of,” he argued, gesturing with his beer bottle.
“Dana’s the expert in that area, not you,” Chloe reminded him.
He shook his head. “She’s a wonderful doctor, but she reads charts and interviews sickos. I’ve dealt with them a hell of a lot longer and on more levels than she has.”
“Josh and I made an agreement that we weren’t going to discuss her this weekend,” Lauren spoke up.
Dave walked over and put an arm around her shoulders. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “If you weren’t like another daughter to me, I’d probably argue that point just for the fun of it. It’s good you came up here to relax and get away from your problems, but deep down, you both know you haven’t forgotten them. You’ve merely shelved them for a while. This is a break you both need very badly. But I also want to help, if I can.”
“You’re right about the break. We thought someone was following us through the mountain pass, and even when we realized they weren’t, it took us a few minutes to relax,” she admitted.
Josh nodded in agreement. “I’m just grateful the stalker law is in full force, which gives us an edge if we can ever get this to court. We already have a number of felony counts against the woman, but few clues.”
Dave opened two more bottles of beer and handed one to Josh. “Fill me in.”
“I give up,” Chloe sighed, rising to her feet. “I’m going to put the finishing touches on dinner. Maybe food will get him to shut up for a while. Although I sincerely doubt it. Not when it’s a subject he can go on for hours about. He’s lucky I love him so much.”
Lauren stood up to follow. “I’ll help. Where would you like me to start?”
Chloe put Lauren to work fixing a salad.
“Is he the one?”
Lauren concentrated on tearing the lettuce. “I think so, but there’s too much going on around us for me to be sure of our feelings for each other. It might be nothing more than heightened emotions because of what’s happened. It’s happened many times with others. Why not with us?”
“Probably because you two are a special case.” Chloe placed her hands on Lauren’s face and forced her around. She gently ran her fingertips across her cheeks and
down her jaw line. “All the cuts were superficial?”
Lauren nodded. “They said I was lucky. If the glass pieces had been larger, I could have ended up with some nasty scars requiring plastic surgery.”
“All I can say is, if the two of you manage to survive this, it can only mean you’re meant to be together. He was even willing to go along with your plan, which I think we both know could prove disastrous if this woman falls completely apart once you all face each other. Even Dana said he seemed pretty near to perfect, and we both know she doesn’t say that about any human being!” She chuckled.
“Just please don’t use the word ‘survive’!” Lauren hugged the woman. “Who knows? Maybe Dave is right; maybe he can come up with something we haven’t thought of.”
“If only we could be that lucky.” Josh stood in the kitchen doorway just behind Dave. His eyes immediately sought out Lauren’s and held them in a dark gaze.
“You’ve covered all the bases. I couldn’t have done any better myself,” the older man agreed. “All I can say is, if this plan doesn’t smoke her out, nothing will until she’s good and ready to show herself.”
Lauren turned back to the salad. She tore the lettuce with vicious tugs that almost shredded the greens. “Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel all that secure.”
Chapter Eighteen
“How does one woman get so lucky? I tried for six months to get Josh’s attention, and I couldn’t get more than friendly conversation! Yet Lauren Hunter comes along and he falls for her like a ton of bricks. What does she have that I don’t?”
“Besides Josh, you mean?”
“Someone once said he has some rule that he won’t date anyone he has to work with. Yet he deals with her, doesn’t he?”
“All I know is, I wish I was her this weekend!”
The words she’d heard the day before rang through her head like a taunt. She felt them burning through her skull like an acid destroying what little sanity she still possessed.
It wasn’t fair! Hadn’t she faithfully abided by her plan all this time? She had turned it into a game. Each hour, each day she stayed away from them was a triumph. She wanted them to worry about her, to wonder what she might do next. Whether she’d leave something even more dangerous at Lauren’s house or enter Josh’s house and stay there, awaiting his return. To let him see her. Realize she was the one he really loved.