A Fragmented Journey (The New York Journey Book 1)

by Gracie Guy

  Chapter Eighteen

  Early the next morning, Lynne Collins called to go over the house contract with her.

  “Does this mean you’re all set with the financing?” It seemed impossible she could have gotten the bank to move so quickly.

  “Yep, right now they’re looking at a closing date around November twentieth. Are you going to be able to make that date?”

  Kara felt her right eye twitch. Whoa, only three weeks. Big changes in such a short time. “Of course,” she answered the realtor with false bravado. So much for Dallas! I guess I’ll be packing and hauling boxes rather than playing in the southwest.

  “To be honest, Kara, I’d be okay with it if you stored tools or stuff in the back building. Then you can come get them in the spring.”

  “Thanks, that’s sweet. But I’ve already made arrangements on a few things.” Kara looked around her kitchen. “It’s time for a change. Time to move. I’ll be okay, Lynne.”

  “Okay, then it’s settled. I’ll give you a call when I get the closing info. Sorry to make this so short but I’ve got to hustle into the shower and make myself pretty. I’ve got three houses to show today. Bye now.”

  Within an hour of Lynne’s call, Chad and Jayna pulled in with their big truck and trailer. Man, I can fit a lot of stuff on that puppy! But Kara really didn’t need that much space. She’d already decided she wasn’t taking any of the tools she and Dan purchased, unless it was of great value or very handy for her to use. Lynne and her husband were going to need a lot of things they weren’t even aware of yet. Imagine how pleased they’ll be to find some of in the back building! It only took about two hours before her friends were heading back down the road. Jayna told her they’d keep it all at their house until she’d settled on a place to rent.

  Kara grabbed her purse and keys from the kitchen. Determined to keep her progress moving forward, she whistled for the dogs to join her. She had plenty of time to make a run to the village before John was supposed to get there. “Babies, let’s hit the hardware store. Maybe we can find some packing boxes, tape, and markers. There’s lotsa stuff we can put away now.”

  She had just parked in front of the store when her cell phone started to ring.

  “Hi John.”

  “Hi Kara. Sorry but I can’t make it today.” He paused for a second. “There was a car accident on 87 near Lake George. They’re trying to piece it together.”

  “I thought you were BCI?”

  “I am but it looks like one car tried driving the other off the road. At a minimum we’ve got three people from Vermont facing weapons and drug charges.”

  Kara waited for him to finish.

  “So, I don’t know how long this will take. Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Things happen, plans change.”

  “Thanks for being so understanding. Call me if you need anything.”

  “I will. Bye now.”

  Sliding her phone into her coat pocket, Kara tamped down the strange sensation creeping into her. Disappointment. Wow, I didn’t realize I was looking forward to seeing him today. Telling the dogs she’d be back in a few minutes, she got out of the truck . Just as she pulled on the handle of the bulky wooden door, the dogs started barking. Turning around, Kara saw both of them lunging across the front seat, pressing their noses and snarling mouths against the windshield, their teeth biting at the glass.

  Panicked, Kara looked around for the cause of their agitation, but all she saw was a single woman walking toward her on the sidewalk. Just as they made eye contact, the woman pivoted on her left foot, half trotting as she crossed the street away from Kara. When she was out of sight, the dogs ceased their attack.

  “Hhmm…she must have gone near the truck to set them off like that.” Watching the woman’s retreating back, Kara shook her head at the oddity of it all, then she continued into the store.

  After buying the moving gear, Kara spent the remainder of the weekend packing her belongings. But she made a wide berth around Dan’s side of the closet and dresser. I can’t avoid his stuff forever, but it can wait a few more days. After she filled each box, she’d label it, tape it shut, and stack it in the living room—with the dogs on her heels for each trip she made. By Sunday evening, most of her clothing and everything in the office was ready to move.

  Kara sat on the massive brown leather couch. It practically swallowed her, even with her legs folded underneath her rump. She cradled a large blue china cup full of New England clam chowder, preferring to slurp the rich base instead of using a spoon. “Well, hell. Nobody’s here but me. I don’t need no stinking spoon!” The dogs sat up in unison from their bed by the fireplace and whined. “Yeah, I know. You’re here also.”

  She squinted over her miniature tureen, as if seeing the dogs for the first time in years. Wow, are those gray hairs? When did they get old? She knew the last couple of weeks were tough on them. Since eight weeks of age, they’d never been separated from each other, or Dan. Their world was lopsided without him. And, now they were in for more changes with this move. Tears clouded her vision at the thought of losing them, but she knew they were getting old for their breed.

  Ugh, think of something happier you idiot. She heard the familiar whistle as her cell phone received a text. Wearing a pair of older chamois slippers, she shuffled to the kitchen with her nearly empty soup vessel to check the phone. A grin sprung on her face when she recognized Mark’s number.

  Hey girl. Nice weekend?

  Hi. What a surprise. Yes, you?

  Am I bothering you?

  No. Chillin’ on the couch.

  Weekend was busy but good. Any word on Dallas?

  Nope. Not yet.

  K. Sleep tight.

  Nite.

  Kara left her cell phone on the counter, thoughts of Mark running through her head as she walked around shutting off the lights and putting the house to bed. “Remember girl, you’re moving forward.” But she didn’t want Mark to be the reason for it. These changes and starting a new life was for her. Besides, he lived in another state, over a thousand miles away. No way was she moving so far. “Nope. This is for me.” She signaled the dogs to join her in the bedroom. “And you guys, too.”

  Early Monday morning, Kara sent Dave a text. Gonna be a few more days. And was very surprised when he responded so quickly.

  You okay?

  Nodding as she tapped letters on her phone. Yep. In the packing groove. Don’t wanna stop. This time she waited a few minutes for his reply.

  K. CU soon.

  She turned to her faithful buddies. “Okay you guys, today we’re packing Dad’s stuff and taking it to the church thrift shop.” Both dogs wagged their tails in response. She was sure that all they’d heard was her gentle tone of voice saying blah, blah, blah. Once she fed them, they’d go back to sleep while pretending to keep her company.

  Kara didn’t want to spend another day crying, so she made short work of her project. She would not be looking at each article of Dan’s clothing, reminiscing about the whens and wheres of the years they’d spent together. There was no changing what happened. It took four contractor-size bags to hold all of it. The only thing she didn’t put in there were the socks and underpants—those she’d burn in the fire pit later. Then she used two more bags for the array of shoes and boots he’d collected: Sorrel, Ariat, Timberlands, Sperry—the list went on and on.

  “Good lord, he has a lot of stuff!” She carried the bags out to her truck. “And now some lucky guy is going to be getting it!” With all five bags stowed, she returned to the kitchen to grab her purse and keys. “Let’s go.” She motioned for the dogs to jump in the open door of the truck while she locked the house.

  Kara was relieved to find the thrift shop closed, with a sign on the door suggesting that people leave their donations in the breezeway, when she got there—saving her an explanation where everything came from. Following a large red arrow, she left the bags inside the side entrance, smiling broadly because no one would know
who’d left well over a thousand dollars’ worth of north-country gear. She could hear her mother telling her she should have waited for a clerk so she could get a receipt for the donation, but Kara didn’t care about the tax write-off. She felt better giving it all away, rather than having to see the receipt when she did her taxes in a few months.

  Stepping out of the shop, from the corner of her eye, she noticed someone across the street. For a second, Kara worried about being found coming out, looking for the world like she was stealing, not donating, even though her hands were empty. Then she realized the person watching her was the woman she’d seen outside of the hardware store Saturday. This time the dogs were quiet because they couldn’t see her.

  The hair on the back of Kara’s neck stood at attention. Sprinting to the safety of her truck, she clicked the fob to unlock the doors. But in her panic, hit the alarm button first, causing the horn to blare incessantly on the peaceful village street.

  Once inside, she relocked the doors. “Calm down you idiot. So you’ve seen the same woman a few days in a row.” But the dogs were whining, trying to lick her face. “Sit you guys. We’re going home.”

  A few minutes later, when she passed the woman walking on Main Street, Kara’s blood pressure spiked in panic again when the dogs slammed into the passenger’s window, viciously barking and drooling at the stranger.

  “Easy does it boys. We’re okay.” Thrown by their outburst, she tried to calm them.

  With her hands shaking, she drove the few miles to her house, trying to place the woman’s face. But no where in her memory could she summon a circumstance before Saturday on the sidewalk in front of the hardware store. Both dogs sat shotgun, their eyes sweeping the road, adding to her sense of unease.

  When she got back to the house, Kara watched her guardians perform a thorough perimeter sweep. The fur at the scruff of their necks stood slightly when they returned to her side. Patting them affectionately, Kara subliminally thanked her late husband for picking out such diligent watch dogs.

  Once inside, she threw the deadbolt on the front door. Then, she wasted no time checking the back door and all the windows. Even with them all locked, it took about half an hour for her to relax enough to eat. Kara made herself another nontraditional meal, something she found herself doing more and more frequently. After years of the meat-and-potatoes meals Dan insisted on, she was enjoying doing things her way. This time she made scrambled eggs for lunch.

  By the time darkness fell, just about everything in her house she wanted to take was packed. On the front porch she stacked boxes of books, dishes, pots and pans, and various appliances she planned to donate, the dogs accompanying her for each trip. Hopefully, no one would see her drop off a load early the next morning, which meant the mystery woman would be nowhere to be found. She stood on the porch for a minute, waiting for the dogs to relieve themselves, thankful she didn’t need to do anything in the barn. Her senses were on edge since her morning encounter with the woman, but she was trying not to give in to any paranoia. “Maybe I’ll call John.” She reached for the door as the dogs bolted up the steps to her. “He said I could. Anytime.”

  Once inside, she fished in her purse for the business card he’d given her. The first number rang a few times and then rolled to voice mail. Flipping the card over, she found the handwritten number with the word cell. She quickly punched the numbers into her phone and then glanced out the window over the kitchen sink. Her eyes scanned the side yard, bathed in brilliant sodium from the light mounted on the barn. When a deep baritone answered on the second ring, Kara released the breath she’d been unconsciously holding in.

  #####

  John felt his pulse quicken when he saw her name come up on his phone, but he decided to keep things professional.

  “John Harley.”

  “Hi Sergeant. This is Kara Maloney-Elliott.”

  “Hello Mrs. Elliott. What can I do for you?” John pulled his SUV over to the side of Route 3.

  “When you were here recently…”

  “We decided that you’d call me John.” Even though he couldn’t see her, he pictured Kara’s eyes widening in surprise.

  “Um, yeah, we did. And you broke the rule, too.”

  He couldn’t resist laughing at the pout he heard in her voice. “So, Kara, what were you saying?”

  “Well, when you were here, you said I could call if I needed anything. Did you mean that?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. Is there something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure.” He heard her voice catch slightly as she told him about two experiences with the dogs and a mystery woman. “And…”—she paused a moment—“just before dark, I discovered that someone keyed the tailgate on my truck.”

  John didn’t like the sound of what he was hearing. Kara was an outgoing and beautiful woman who had lived in the Lake Placid area for over a decade. In a town that small, she should know everyone. “You’re sure you’ve never seen her before this?”

  “Positive. But that isn’t what’s bothering me.” When she paused for a moment, John heard her breathing into the phone. “I’m more concerned with how the dogs reacted each time. It sort of gives me the willies.”

  He chuckled at her old fashioned reference. “Listen, I’m only about forty-five minutes from your place. How about I swing by and take a look around?”

  “Thanks, John. That would help me relax.” The tone of her voice had lightened at his suggestion.

  “Good. I’ll be there soon. Stay inside with the doors locked until I arrive.”

  “Got it. See you soon.”

  After she broke the connection, John put his SUV into gear, pulled a U-turn on the desolate road and headed south into Saranac Lake. Turning left on Church Street, he nodded to a uniformed police officer and maintained the posted speed limit until he drove past the Best Western at the end of the village. Accelerating rapidly, he traveled as quickly as he could on the curving, wooded road that was the most direct route to Kara’s house.

  Shaving ten minutes off his estimate, John slowed to enter her driveway. He flipped on the spot light mounted to the roof of his Jeep, bathing the trees in blinding white light. He swiveled the light around the entrance, watching closely for human movement as he proceeded up the driveway. When he killed the engine in front of her home, his ear cocked—taking in the mountain silence—hearing only the canine alarm coming from the house.

  “Those friggin’ monsters.” John thought back to the first time he’d seen them, the day he’d been assigned to a suspected homicide just north of Lake George. When he stopped to check on her a week ago, he expected them to tear his leg off. But one quick whistle from Kara and they had sat politely to either side of her. At least this time she’s expecting me.

  John stood outside on the porch, looking at an array of stacked boxes and household goods, until Kara opened the door. He kept his arms tight to his sides while the dogs sniffed and snuffled every inch of his pants, shoes and hands. The only part of him that moved were his eyes. Relaxing a little about the dogs and their intent, he chanced a peek at her face just as she smiled in greeting. Wow, she got prettier.

  “Hi Sergeant. Um, I mean, John.” He saw her cheeks blush lightly as she held the door for him. “Please come in.”

  Once she sat down, he took a seat at the kitchen table, perpendicular to hers. The dogs filled the space between their master and him.

  “I don’t know if you saw…” John pointed toward the front porch. “but I used the spot light all over the area of your driveway on my way in.”

  “Yeah, I did. It scared the snot out of me at first. But then I figured it was you.” She pursed her lips at him, slightly nodding her head. John felt his groin respond positively. He cleared his throat, pleased he didn’t have to stand up.

  “The good news is that I didn’t find a trace of anyone. So who ever she is, she doesn’t seem to know where you live.” He watched her shoulders slump a little. Did she just relax?


  “Now what about the damage to the truck? Are you sure it’s new?”

  She sat straight up, giving the surface of the table a light tap. “Absolutely. With all the driving I’ve been doing, my truck has really needed the car wash, so I took it on Saturday.”

  Her quick movements caused her blouse to flutter, giving him an unfettered view of the tops of her perfectly rounded, alabaster breasts. Wow. I better move before I get hard again. John stood up to lean against the counter, sliding his right hand into the pants pocket of his onyx suit. Almost unconsciously, he jingled the loose change he found there to distract himself from thinking about her breasts.

  “Would you like me to check the barn before I leave?” He watched her brow furrow and the sexy, pursed lips return.

  “Oh, you’re going already?”

  Jingle, jingle, jingle. He was practically throwing the money around in his pants. Look at those lips. He knew he had to leave before he did something stupid, like kissing her. “Well, in a few minutes, yeah, I am. Unless there’s something you need me to do, like check the barn.”

  Her shoulders stiffened while she looked at her knotted fingers; her posture screamed vulnerability. John stepped forward, intent upon placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. But as soon as he moved, both dogs emitted a low, threatening growl.

  Kara patted them on the head. “It’s okay. He’s a good guy.” Her eyes seemed to beg him. “Right?”

  “Absolutely.” John ran his hand through his close cropped hair, confused about where this conversation was going.

  She stood and walked away from him. He watched her back as she stared out the window facing the barn. When her hand quickly rubbed her cheek, he hoped to hell she wasn’t crying. Few things melted the glue in his big, tough cop persona, faster than a crying woman. Especially if that woman happen to be a particularly beautiful redheaded widow with alluring lips and curvaceous breasts.