Silence followed his outburst.
“I’m sorry. I’m on edge and don’t know what I’m saying.” He put the phone on speaker and set it down in front of him. Forcing himself to think logically, he laid out the facts. “The doctor secured her someplace off the grid where he felt safe. Probably not too far from Boston, in case he was needed for work. Counterstrike doesn’t take vacations.”
“Does the man have family nearby?”
The smooth undertone in his benefactor’s voice reminded Charles of a snake gliding across a slippery stone floor. He shuddered before focusing on the question.
“His brother is a fireman in New York. A real hero. On nine-eleven, he somehow made it out of the South Tower alive before it came crashing down. The rest of his crew wasn’t so lucky. Pulling up info on Garth Kimball was a piece of cake.”
“They wouldn’t go to New York for peace and quiet, which is what Riley mentioned in her text to you.”
“No, probably not. Noah’s parents retired to Florida, and his sister lives in Paris.”
“Then Kimball didn’t take Riley to a relative’s home. Where does he like to spend leisure time? I don’t suppose the good doctor has a cabin in the woods where he goes to hunt or fish?” His tone was filled with a combination of frustration and impatience.
A cold sweat stuck his shirt to his back as Charles stared at the framed photographs hanging over the leather couch on the other side of Noah Kimball’s living room. Slowly he pushed back the desk chair and crossed the room to stand in front of them. A young boy and an older man posed on a dock, holding up a large fish. The same old Chevy pickup that was currently parked in the garage stood in the driveway in front of a house with a covered porch, the ocean visible in the background. Other photos detailed a rugged coastline at sunset.
“Are you still there, Charles?”
He hurried back to the desk where he’s left his phone. “The doctor has ties to someplace on the coast. I’d guess north of here.”
“Where?” The voice snapped at him.
Charles gritted his teeth and pulled open the bottom desk drawer. “I saw some old letters when I went through his papers.” He lifted the small stack of creased envelopes and focused on the return address written in faded, black ink. “Winter Harbor, Maine.”
“About damn time you earned the money I’ve dumped into your education. Not to mention the hoops I jumped through to keep your name out of that other matter.” He spoke without a hint of warmth in his voice. “I’ll take it from here. And this time there won’t be any screwups. I don’t have time to waste.”
When the phone went dead, Charles let out a shuddering breath, trying to calm his nerves. “He won’t hurt Riley. He needs her.” His voice cracked in the stillness.
The same couldn’t be said about Noah Kimball.
Chapter Eleven
“How does your knee feel?” Noah held a drooping fir branch aside to let Riley pass. They’d been hiking for nearly twenty minutes, keeping a decent pace, and he hoped she wasn’t overdoing.
“Great. A twinge now and then, but my knee isn’t painful. Wrapping it for support was a good idea.” Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she glanced back at him.
He automatically returned her smile. Riley was prettier than the view spread out in front of them, and that was saying something. From the trail on the southern side of Shoodic Point, nothing impeded the vista of rocky shoreline and deep blue water beneath a cloudless sky. He’d missed spending time in this corner of Maine. Sharing the place he loved most in the world with Riley made it even better.
“No one around but the two of us, Stormy, and a few birds. This place is cathartic.”
He dropped the branch and moved on. “It’s a whole different story in the summer, but most tourists don’t brave the cold this late into the fall. That wind is downright brutal.”
She tucked her hands into the pockets of her down jacket. “I’m enjoying the fresh air, all the same. Out here, I don’t feel like I have to constantly look over my shoulder.”
Noah pressed his lips together, keeping his thoughts to himself. The tension had seemed to drain out of Riley with each step she took on the woodland path. He didn’t want to break the news that he feared the asshole searching for her would eventually find them. If he did, Noah would handle the situation.
Ahead of them, Stormy let out an excited bark and ran into the trees. Sitting at the base of a big spruce, she tilted her head and whined at a squirrel, chattering from a limb high above her.
“Maybe we should leash her. I saw a sign when we parked in the campground lot.”
He shrugged. “She’s having fun. And since she listens relatively well, she’s under control. Sort of. Isn’t that the objective?”
Riley looked over her shoulder and grinned. “You aren’t above bending the rules to suit your purposes?”
“If no one gets hurt. However, most rules are put in place for a reason.” He kicked a pinecone out of the trail. “I don’t tolerate deceit. People need to own their actions.”
“Agreed.” Riley stopped abruptly in the path in front of him and swayed.
Reaching out, he grabbed her shoulders to keep from knocking her over. “Did you see something?”
After a moment, she shook her head. “Only in my mind. I was in my grandpa’s room, giving him an injection.” Her breath came fast, and she pressed a hand to her chest. “So much emotion. Hope. Fear. Determination. Terror. I was scared out of my mind.”
He tightened his grip on her. “What were you afraid of?”
“That it wouldn’t work. But I was willing to take the risk.”
Noah released her slowly and stepped away as she turned to face him. “That’s an extremely powerful memory.”
She shuddered. “His doctor saw an improvement. Thank God I didn’t kill him.”
“But you could have?”
“I don’t know.” Her eyes were wide, and the windburn coloring her cheeks contrasted sharply with the pallor of her skin. “I know I wasn’t as confident of the outcome as I would have liked.”
He retreated another step and stared out over the choppy waters of the Narrows, trying not to judge. From the perspective of a doctor who’d taken an oath to do no harm, he wanted to shake her and ask what the hell she’d been thinking. The fact that, as a member of Counterstrike, he’d been forced into hard choices to protect the innocent made the risk she’d taken even more difficult to swallow. Still, he didn’t have all the facts. Currently, neither did Riley.
“That’s a much more recent memory than the others.” Though it was a struggle, he kept his tone neutral.
“Considering the context, I can see why it left a lasting impression, but still . . .”
“Your deeply ingrained memories will return more quickly now. It’s just a matter of time before you’ll have most of them back. Maybe we’ll get a few answers as you remember more from the time period near your kidnapping.”
“God, I hope so.” She clapped her hands. “Let’s go, Stormy.”
They continued along the path, following the dog, not talking much. The silence between them was easy rather than uncomfortable. Thankfully, sleeping together hadn’t disrupted the friendship they’d formed over the last couple of weeks. For him, their relationship wasn’t just about amazing sex, something he certainly didn’t take for granted. Not by a long shot. He knew Riley was invested in him, even if she hadn’t expressed her feelings in words. He intended to do his damnedest to be worthy.
“Earth to Noah. I asked if that little island out there has a name.”
Noah pushed his musings aside, not too certain he wanted to pursue them, anyway. “Uh, that’s the Isle of Or. The inlet narrows considerably after this. We can turn back if you want.”
“No, I’m enjoying this. Who knew Maine was so spectacular?” She waved a hand as she continued up the path. “Okay, maybe I did and just forgot, but I don’t feel like I’ve seen all this before. I feel like I’ve spent most of my time indoor
s. What a waste.”
“If that blow to the head gives you a new perspective on life, then I guess some good might come from it.”
“Even if the solution to dementia remains beyond my grasp? Not to mention I need to return to the classroom next semester. If I can’t teach, I’ll lose my job. Worrying about that has given me major panic attacks.”
Noah pulled her to a stop and slid an arm around her. “Don’t borrow trouble. Let me ask you something.”
She leaned against him. “Okay.”
“What happens when we breathe? Don’t think. Just answer. Quickly.”
Riley looked up and frowned. “Oxygen enters our lungs when we inhale. Not pure oxygen, mind you, since it’s mixed with other elements. From there, the oxygen diffuses into the bloodstream, and the oxygenated blood travels to the heart and then to the rest of the body . . .” She paused. “Why are you smiling?”
“Most people would have answered that air goes in and out. Period. You haven’t lost your intricate understanding of the human body, or anything else you learned during all your years of study and research. You may not have specific lesson plans available for recall, but you can put those together again.”
Her jaw sagged before she snapped her mouth shut. “Wow.”
“Similarly, the work you were doing on dementia. My guess is the changes you planned to make to the immunoresponse gene will come back to you as you exercise your brain and your neuropathways continue to heal. The knowledge is still there, waiting to be tapped.”
“That’s—thank you. I could kiss you right now.”
“I didn’t do anything but point out the obvious.” He tightened his arm around her. “Still, don’t let that deter you.”
A smile tilted the corners of her mouth before she laid her palm against the back of his neck. Standing on her toes, she kissed him. Her cool lips heated quickly as he responded with enthusiasm. Before he got too carried away, he pulled back.
“While I wouldn’t mind doing this all day, you’re making me want a lot more than a simple kiss.”
“Probably not the best spot for romantic activities, considering the windchill. But anticipation alone should keep you warm for the rest of our hike.”
“I’m plenty heated, believe me.” Noah took her hand in his, and they walked side by side as the trail widened slightly. A short time later, they reached a bend in the path. “We can go back the way we came along the shore or head through the woods and make a loop.”
“I vote for the loop. I like to explore new territory, even if I know the path I’ve been on is exceptional.”
“Sounds good to me.” When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he pulled it out and glanced at the text. “Luna didn’t find anyone with ties to Vortex when she did a background check on the residents of Harbor House, at least not at first glance.”
“That was quick.”
“Your grandpa’s care facility only has a few dozen residents, and Luna’s excellent at what she does. Damn. I was hoping something would pop. She also checked immediate family members who might have been given the door code.”
Riley stared out over the water and frowned. “Everyone was squeaky clean?”
Noah scrolled through the report his colleague had attached. “I don’t know about that. There’s a judge who got disbarred on this list, a real estate guru who owns half of Boston, a bigwig Wall Street guy, and a plastic surgeon who charges a fortune to help vain people hold onto their youth.”
“I’m glad you said people and not women.”
He grinned. “Hey, a lot of guys are obsessed with their looks, but the surgeon is a woman.”
“All men can’t be as gorgeous as you are.” Her tone held a hint of droll humor.
“Sad, isn’t it?” He couldn’t keep a straight face and snorted with laughter. “At any rate, none of these people seem like they’d be after your research, but you never know.”
“I suppose if there was an obvious connection, the police would have found it.”
“You’d think.” He shoved his phone into his pocket and took her arm to steer her into the woods as Stormy ran ahead. “We won’t let the lack of suspects ruin our hike.”
“I’m certainly not adverse to hanging out in Maine, but I would like to check in with my grandpa.”
“You can give him a call when we get back to the car.”
They enjoyed the rest of the walk through the thick forest where Stormy scared up another squirrel. When Riley called her dog, she cut her pursuit short and returned to their side.
“I’m so glad I kept her. Look at that face.”
Noah smiled at Stormy, who sat on her butt, scratching vigorously behind one ear, her eyes slit in apparent ecstasy. “I wonder why you didn’t already own a pet.”
“Probably because I didn’t have time to properly care for one. Once I go back to work, I plan to make time I for her. I intend to make a few changes in my life. Healthy changes.”
He gave her a quick hug. “Good for you.” As the woods thinned before they reached the parking lot, he pulled the keys from his pocket. “I’ll drive if you want to talk to your grandpa.”
When Riley nodded, he hit the remote and opened the back door for the dog. By the time he got in and started the engine, she had her phone out. Instead of dialing, she stared at the screen and frowned.
Noah turned to face her. “Is something wrong?”
“I have a text, but I don’t know who it’s from. God, I hate this!”
“Is it threatening?” He spoke sharply, and in the back seat, Stormy whined.
“No.” She hesitated for a moment. “Apparently I was dating someone I worked with.”
His chest tightened, and he resisted the urge to swear. Finally, he shifted into drive and pulled out of the parking lot before unclamping his teeth to ask, “If you were involved, why didn’t he contact you sooner?”
Her head jerked up. “Not presently dating him. I meant . . .” She let out a long breath. “I’ll just read the text out loud.”
“Not my business, Riley.”
Her voice took on an edge. “Neither of us is required to discuss past relationships, but they made us who we are, and the early stages of forming a connection are about getting to know each other. Since I don’t even remember this man—not to mention he sounds angry—I’ll share.”
“Fine.” He focused on driving as he headed toward the tip of Shoodic Point on the one-way road. Instead of enjoying the view, he was feeling equal parts angry and petty. Of course, Riley had a past that included other men, but he could admit—at least to himself—that he liked the idea that she didn’t have any memories of them. Which made him a total lame-ass.
“I know we split up, but a little common courtesy would be nice. You made me feel like a fool.” She looked up and scowled. “Really, this situation is my fault?”
“He sounds like an entitled moron. Is that the whole message?”
“Oh, no. The text is pretty long.” She continued reading. “I had to find out what happened to you from Dr. Ernst and ask him for your new number since you couldn’t be bothered to give it to me. After you ignored me outside the coffee shop, I went by your place. No one was home. Want to tell me where you are?” She set her cell on her thigh. “There’s only a phone number for the contact with no name. Do you know how frustrating that is?”
“I can imagine. The guy mentions a coffee shop.”
“I had coffee with Becca two days ago.” She gripped the armrest on the door even though he slowed to take the corner. “When we were leaving, a blond man walked by on the sidewalk and gave me a strange look. He nodded but didn’t say anything.” She sat in silence for a few moments before releasing a long breath. “Oh. Now I get it.”
Noah glanced over at her, noting her set lips and straight back. “Get what?”
“It just clicked in my brain. I had a flash of memory before, accompanied by a feeling of anger. The man’s face seemed familiar, but I didn’t know why. He was the guy I saw on the si
dewalk.”
“Sounds like you had issues with him.”
“Since we broke up, that’s not surprising. I must work with him if the department chair at Trimountaine gave him information about me. I can’t imagine he’d do that for a random stranger.”
“So, your ex also teaches science. Quite a coincidence.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t suppose he was interested in your research while you two were involved.”
“I’ve no idea.” She turned to face him. “You think a professor I dated might be behind the attacks on me?”
“I’m not ruling it out. We need this guy’s name. Once we have it, Luna can check into his connections.”
“Easy enough to learn, if he’s on the Trimountaine staff.” Riley picked up her phone and tapped the screen. After a minute, she held it up.
He glanced over at a photograph of a blond man wearing business attire, smiling at the camera. Handsome. Smug. “Is that him?”
“He’s the man I saw outside the coffee shop. Emerson Prescot. He teaches chemistry.”
“That photo doesn’t bring back any memories?”
She shook her head. “I feel like I’m looking at a stranger.”
“I’ll call Luna when we get back to the house. Maybe Prescot had nothing to do with the kidnapping and is simply a jerk you dumped. Or maybe he’s a guilty son of a bitch. She’ll find out which one it is.”
“How do you know I dumped him?”
Noah gave her an up and down look before returning his attention to the road. “Because he might be an asshole, but he doesn’t look stupid.”
Riley reached over and patted his knee. “Thanks for the back-handed compliment. I think. If you’re done being snarky about a guy I don’t even remember dating, I’ll call my grandpa.”
His lips twitched. “Yep, all done. Go ahead and call him.”
She stared at him for a moment longer before the corners of her mouth turned up. “Emerson must not have been very memorable because I’m pretty darn certain I won’t ever forget you. Does that make you feel better?”
Lethal Memory (A Counterstrike Novel Book 2) Page 13