Submerged

by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

  "Okay, I'll be back in about six and a half hours. You'll check in on Rebecca and the kids for me?"

  "Definitely. We still have a few questions for her. And the ex."

  "Have you searched his place yet?"

  "Can't get a warrant. Not enough evidence."

  "Shit. Can't you even look at his phone records or e-mails?"

  "Nope. Not until we get the warrant."

  Marcus gritted his teeth. "By then he could dump everything. Especially if anyone threatened him in a voice mail or e-mail."

  "I know. But we have to do this by the book. We've got a request in for a warrant. Should have it by tomorrow, maybe the next day."

  Marcus massaged his temples. "Tomorrow could be too late. If Wesley Kingston has anything to connect him to the attempt on his wife's life, it'll be gone by the time you get there."

  Zur let out a huff. "People think it's easy to erase files and information from a computer. It's not. Our tech guys can pull data that was deleted years ago. There's almost always a trace. I promise you, if Kingston's got anything incriminating, we'll find it." He let out a snicker. "Now let's talk about you and Mrs. Kingston living together."

  "It's not like that, John."

  "Isn't it?" Another chuckle. "I think it's exactly like that. But do yourself a favor. Wait until the ink's dry on her divorce papers before you make your move."

  "I don't have a move."

  "Then you'd better get one. She's into you."

  Marcus blinked. "You think so?"

  More laugher sounded, then Zur said, "Bye, Marcus."

  Marcus started the car and pulled away from the hospital. Securing the Bluetooth over his left ear, he called Leo.

  "You headed home?" Leo asked.

  "No, I'm going to stay in Edmonton for a few days."

  "So you can keep an eye on that Kingston woman?"

  "Good guess. Actually, I agreed to stay at her house for a few days."

  "Why would you do that?"

  Marcus sucked in a deep breath. "She's petrified that whoever tried to kill her will come back and try again. Even the police think it's a possibility."

  "What about her kids?"

  "They're staying with their aunt. That leaves Rebecca alone in her house with no support other than a patrol car outside."

  "If she's got police watching her, she's more than likely gonna be fine."

  "Why are you giving me such a hard time about this, Leo? I'm trying to be a nice guy."

  "Sorry, man. I can't help it if I worry about you. It strikes me as very unusual for you to take such an interest in one of our callers."

  "Rebecca's not merely a caller. Not to me. Not after all this."

  Leo sighed. "I know you feel some kind of connection to her. I won't argue with that. But I do think you're rushing into things, not considering the consequences."

  "What's there to consider? I'm going to sleep on her couch so she's not alone, not sleep with her."

  "You sure about that?"

  Marcus clenched his jaw. "You've been telling me for months to get out more, meet someone. Well, guess what? I did. Okay, granted I met her on the job, but who's to say there's anything wrong with that? I like her. I think she likes me. Right now, all that's important is that she feels safe. I can do that for her."

  "I'm not sure about this, Marcus."

  "I know what I'm doing is a bit…unorthodox. But she asked me to stay, and I couldn't say no. Hell, it's for a few days. It's not like I'm moving in with her permanently."

  There was a long, uncomfortable pause.

  Then Leo said, "Fine. Do what you gotta do."

  "Thank you."

  "It's not that I don't trust your judgment. It's just that I—"

  "Don't trust my judgment."

  Leo chuckled. "I worry about you. You can't blame me for that."

  "I know, Leo. And I appreciate it. Really. But I'm fine. For the first time in a long time I feel like I've got my life back."

  "Something else happen to you out at the river?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean…you sound like you've had a near-death experience or something. You know, seen the light and all. Maybe you drowned and then came back to life."

  Marcus laughed. "You should write books with that imagination. No, I didn't drown. No near-death experience either. No tunnel or bright light, except from the flashlight."

  "So this woman. Rebecca. She hot?"

  The question took Marcus by complete surprise. "Uh…I guess."

  "You guess? That's lame, man. She's either hot or not."

  "Fine. She's hot." Sizzling hot.

  "You bring her over for dinner one night."

  Marcus wiped a hand across his brow and focused on the road.

  "Marcus, you there?"

  "Yeah, Leo. I heard you. And the invite. I won't promise anything. She may not be that into me. I'm rusty at reading signals."

  "But there were signals?"

  "I think so."

  "Well, you are her superhero."

  Marcus sat up. "What? Where did you hear that?"

  Leo erupted into laughter. "Oh man. Word got out in the hospital and went everywhere. I heard Carol's making you a cape."

  "Shit."

  "Hey, don't sweat it. You did good, Marcus. Real good. I'm proud of you."

  "Thanks."

  "Now, what do you want me to do about Arizona?"

  "I'll pick her up before we leave for Rebecca's. And Leo? I've really appreciated you looking after Arizona for me."

  "No problem. Except you're gonna have to talk my wife out of getting a dog now. That's all on you, buddy."

  Marcus laughed. "I'll do my best, but I know that once someone looks into Arizona's big brown eyes, she's got them hooked."

  "I'm not getting a dog."

  "Okay, Leo. You keep saying that. Bye." Click.

  On the long drive to Edmonton, Marcus mulled over the attempt on Rebecca's life and every possible scenario.

  He kept hearing John Zur's voice in his head. "She's into you."

  Could he be right?

  Chapter Thirty -Two

  Hinton, AB – Saturday, June 15, 2013 – 1:57 PM

  When Carter Billingsley walked into her hospital room, Rebecca gave him a smile. "You didn't have to drive all the way here to see me."

  "Yes, I did. It's the least I could do. You know your father and I go way back." Carter leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You're like a daughter to me."

  "So the kids can call you Grandpa then?"

  His frowned. "Let's stick with Uncle Carter, shall we?"

  "I'm glad to see you," she said with a sigh. "It's been a rough few days."

  He dragged the chair closer. "I hear it's going to be rougher."

  She squeezed back tears and nodded, not trusting her voice.

  "Rebecca, I want you to know that the extra bills have been paid for from your grandfather's money. Yours too." He held up a hand to silence her. "I know he specified it was to be spent solely on the children, but you and I both know he'd do this for you. He'd want you to have the best care and not have to worry about paying bills later."

  A tear escaped and she wiped it away. "Thank you."

  "Is there anything I can do for you or the children?"

  "Get Wesley out of my life. I know he'll be in theirs, but I want this divorce finalized. The sooner, the better."

  Carter's mouth thinned. "I can certainly help with that. I have the divorce papers here with me. All I need is Wesley's signature. Where can I find him?"

  "I'm not sure."

  Carter inhaled deeply. "Do the police believe he had anything to do with this?"

  "They're checking him out, but I'm sure that Wesley did not try to kill me and the kids."

  "Did he ever tell you he called me to ask about the terms of your inheritance?"

  She shook her head.

  "He wanted to know if he could borrow from it and pay it back later."

  "But you advised him that h
e couldn't."

  "Yes. And he wasn't too happy about it, Rebecca. He called me a few choice names. You too, if I remember correctly."

  "Did the police talk to you?"

  "Not yet. That's the other reason I'm here. I had a call from a Detective Zur. He wants to see your file, go over the inheritance. Do I have your permission to show him?"

  "You give him anything he needs, Carter. I want this nightmare over. And that won't happen unless we get to the truth."

  He leaned over and patted her shoulder. "If there's anything else you need, ask."

  "I need my life back. With my children. I need to feel safe again. I need them to find the bastard that did this."

  In the doorway, Carter said, "I hope they do. You deserve some happiness in your life."

  "Thank you, Carter. You're the best."

  "Remember that when you get my bill," he said with a laugh.

  She listened to his footsteps move down the hall.

  Then she picked up the phone and called Kelly's cell phone. She quickly filled her in on the plan to have Marcus stay with her for a few days. Kelly wasn't at all thrilled with the idea.

  "What do you mean you're letting a stranger stay with you?" Kelly demanded. "I said I'd do it."

  "I need you to keep the kids safe."

  "But you need to be safe too."

  "I will be. Marcus won't let anything happen to me."

  "Are you sure that's wise, Rebecca? I mean, you don't really know this Marcus guy. And to have him sleeping in your house…ugh…I'm not so sure about this, Sis. I think it'd be better if I stayed with you."

  "No. This is what I want. No offense, Kelly, but it's not like you could do much if someone broke in during the middle of the night."

  "Gee, you make me sound so helpless."

  "Sorry. But the truth is, I wouldn't feel safe with you in my house. I'd worry about you getting hurt. This guy has his sights on me, and I need to know that the rest of my family is safe."

  "Okay, okay. As long as you're sure about this 911 dude."

  "Never been more sure about anyone in my life."

  "You've gotta admit, Rebecca, it's kind of weird how he abandoned his job and came to your rescue."

  "He didn't abandon it. He felt he had to do the right thing. And it was right for him to try to find us. Now quit your griping. You should be happy Marcus came to our rescue. We wouldn't be having this conversation otherwise."

  There was a long silence on the other end.

  "I'm not being ungrateful," Kelly said finally. "I'm very happy he found you and the kids. But I am worried about you. And this guy. He's a…" Kelly's voice trailed off.

  "What? Rebecca prodded. "Spit it out."

  "You said he was an addict."

  "Recovering addict."

  "Same thing. You sure he's not going to steal your medication, or money or jewelry?"

  Rebecca released a pent-up breath. "I know you're worried for me, Sis, but trust me. I'm a good judge of character."

  Kelly let out a huff. "Uh…and what about Wesley?"

  "Okay, you got me there. Not a good choice. But really, don't worry about Marcus Taylor. He's one of the good guys. And there aren’t many out there. I trust him. He won't steal from me. Besides, the only drugs I have at home are kids' aspirin and Buckley's cough syrup. I can tell you that Marcus isn't that desperate."

  "Fine," Kelly said. "I'm already on my way. I'll be there in about three hours."

  "I love you, Sis."

  "Me too."

  Rebecca hung up and thought about Marcus. He'd had a string of bad luck, especially with his wife's and son's deaths. On top of these, he was battling a drug addiction, and was suspended from a job he enjoyed. He liked helping people. She could tell. Yet, he was modest, never looking for the limelight, never seeking recognition.

  Even when he'd told her about the old lady with the cat, she could tell he genuinely cared about people. Unlike Wesley, who cared about one solitary person—himself.

  Two very different men. One terrified her. The other made her feel…alive.

  Kelly had been after her for weeks to start dating. Rebecca had argued with her that she couldn't date until she was legally divorced. She wouldn't betray her vows—even if Wesley had. In truth, the thought of dating terrified Rebecca. How does one go about meeting decent men at her age? Internet dating? Too many nutcases out there. Dating services? And what if she met no one other than jerks who thought two kids were excess baggage?

  No, she'd much rather let fate intervene. She'd meet someone when the time was right. And that's what she'd always promised Kelly.

  "Maybe fate has already intervened," she murmured.

  Would Marcus welcome dating a woman with two kids?

  Whoa! You're getting way ahead of yourself. So you like the guy. That doesn't mean he likes you back. Not in that way. Maybe he's not interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone.

  But what if he was?

  Chapter Thirty -Three

  Edmonton, AB – Saturday, June 15, 2013 – 5:17 PM

  Marcus pulled up in front of Rebecca's house. Spotting the patrol car across the streets, he gave the uniformed officer a nod and made a beeline for him.

  "Marcus Taylor?" the officer said, getting out of his car.

  "Yes."

  "You got ID?"

  Marcus retrieved his wallet from his jacket pocket and flashed his driver's license.

  The officer gave a nod. "You're the guy who rescued them. Saw your picture plastered all over the news. Congrats, dude." The man smiled. "Way to go."

  "Thanks." Marcus glanced at the house. "Anyone show up here?"

  "No. Been dead quiet all day."

  "Did Detective Zur say if there was any word on who did it?"

  "You know Zur?"

  "We go back a ways."

  "You an ex-cop?"

  "Former paramedic. We worked a few cases together."

  The officer smiled. "Zur's one of the best. Last thing I heard they were checking out a videotape lead. Saw some guy on it in a truck like the one the victim saw."

  "Rebecca."

  "Pardon me?"

  "The victim's name. Rebecca Kingston."

  "Oh, yeah."

  "I'm here to pick up some things for Rebecca and the kids. I should be in and out within fifteen minutes." Marcus took a step away, but then paused. "When's the next shift change?"

  "Midnight."

  "Be sure to check around back every now and then."

  "Will do, Mr. Taylor."

  Inside the house, Marcus stood in the foyer and got his bearings. Kitchen to the right. Living room and formal dining room to the left. Open concept. No upper floor, so he guessed the bedrooms were at the far end of the house.

  He headed down the hallway, doing his best to ignore the family photos on the wall. Ones of a happy couple and their children.

  He paused midway and stared at the man in the photo. Wesley Kingston. Not a bad-looking fellow, midforties, maybe, with thinning hair.

  "Did you do this?" Marcus muttered.

  Of course, the photo didn't answer.

  The first room he checked appeared to be a spare room. Nothing much personal in it and didn't look as though it had gotten much use. He wondered if Wesley had slept there after Rebecca had discovered his infidelity, or if he'd been kicked out on his ass immediately as he deserved.

  It wasn't really Marcus's business, but still…

  The next room he entered was Ella's—all pink and princesses. He found a pair of clean jeans and a flowered shirt, socks and underwear. Then he proceeded to the room across the hall. Colton's. A typical boy's room, the décor was all in grays and blues, with action figures on shelves on the walls. Sports gear and dirty clothing were strewn across the floor.

  He gathered a change of clean clothing for the boy.

  The third room he entered was the master suite. Tastefully decorated, it had an air of freshness, with its large windows and massive en suite bathroom. The walk-in closet w
as a modest size, and he scrutinized the hangers, studying the clothing that hung there.

  Two dozen or so empty hangers had been shoved to one side, and Marcus suspected the man had already transported most of his belongings to his own place. There were, however, three oversized T-shirts that were far too large to be Rebecca's. Marcus wondered if she slept in them, like Jane had often done.

  It was odd to be here, in this woman's bedroom, looking at her clothes and pondering such intimacies, but he couldn't keep the thoughts from rushing his brain. Was she ready for this divorce? Was she ready to move on?

  He'd known other women who had forgiven their partner's sexual transgressions. They'd been able to salvage their marriages. Would Rebecca want to try? Or was she done with Wesley?

  Is he done with her?

  He found a pair of jeans and a warm but loose blouse. Those should do fine.

  When he opened another drawer, he was faced with yet another dilemma—picking out a bra and a pair of panties. Everything was lace and pastels…silky.

  Jesus, Marcus. They're clothes. Stop thinking like a pervert.

  It was ridiculous really. Here he was, red-faced and sweating, sorting through Rebecca's intimate lingerie, and all he could think of was seeing her in them.

  With a shake of his head, he grabbed a handful of lace and shoved them in the pile of kids' clothes. He left the closet, feeling like he should apologize. Luckily, there was no one there to witness his embarrassment.

  He wandered around the bedroom, taking in a small display of photos that sat atop a photo album. He picked up one photo. Rebecca and Wesley, arms wrapped around each other. It had been taken at Disneyland, pre-kids. They'd been happy. Once.

  He moved the other framed pictures and picked up the hefty photo album. A voice in the back of his head suggested he shouldn't, that he was now being plain nosy, but he ignored the voice. Flipping through the pages, he saw Rebecca's life flash before him. Photos from when she and Wesley had started dating. Wedding pictures. The births of Colton and Ella. Various parties and events she'd attended with her husband.

  He studied one of the party photos. Rebecca looked so happy. She was staring at Wesley with such pride. A crowd of people had gathered around them. Some were patting Wesley on the back.