“Would you take off your glasses, please?” she asked and eased from the car.
“I’m sorry?”
“Your sunglasses. Would you take them off.”
“Oh. Sure.”
She tightened her grip on the gun handle and prepared to aim the barrel at him. If he had the brown eyes she had seen behind the ski mask the night before, she wouldn’t hesitate to aim the gun at him point blank. And if he charged her she would fire the gun the way her father had taught her when she was twelve. She wouldn’t so much as tell him to stop or warn him that she was going to fire.
He removed his hat and glasses, an isolated stream of sunlight making the black in his hair shimmer. His light gray eyes made her relax, and also made her knees a little weak.
“Thanks.” She released her hand from the gun and stepped around the open door of the Jeep.
“It’s no problem. I hope I don't look like whoever it is you didn't want to see."
“No," she said. “You don’t."
He looked at her with a half smile for a moment then shook his head, as if he had forgotten his manners. “I didn't catch your name.” He extended his hand cautiously.
Griffin, Griffin… When she couldn't find any resemblance between his vibe and Elias’, she shook his hand.
“Barbara.”
“Nice to meet you, Barbara.”
His hand closed around hers, its warmth comforting. Griffin… He was smart. Brilliant, maybe. Doggedly determined with everything he did. His stance was wide and confident, and even though she had almost flattened him, he seemed unfazed. As if he dodged the dangerous and unexpected every day. He liked her, she knew. The signs were there.
There were flecks of distrust, uncertainty in those eyes the color of ice. He had loved too hard with that big heart of his, she suspected. Gotten left or trampled in the process. Still he showed up, open, trying.
“Are you here on vacation?” he asked.
“Yeah. I love the mountains.” She realized she had been quietly staring.
“Me, too. You picked a great spot. We have a lake out back, it’s perfect for swimming, boating and fishing. Plenty of hiking trails around and we have 250 waterfalls.”
“Two hundred fifty?”
“More waterfalls here than any other county in the country. I’d be happy to show you around.”
She nodded before she knew she was even answering.
“Excellent. Do you hike?”
“Yeah, I do.” She couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a hike, but suddenly she was ready to reclaim that interest.
“I could show you a few of the trails and introduce you to the area, if you like?”
“I'd like that," she said, following his lead, trying to show up as well.
“Or maybe a swim if you’re tired from traveling.”
She shrugged, feeling a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Either one.”
“Perfect. How about I come back around four?”
She glanced at her wrist and realized she wasn't wearing her watch. “That’d be great.”
He nodded and put his hat on. His smile was so wide and gracious it made her grin in return. “It’s a date, then.”
A surprising kick of adrenaline spread through her stomach. “It’s a date,” she finally said.
She watched after him until he disappeared into the woods. The effect of him lingered, like a scent. Maybe it was because she had left the last of her grief on the dirt path that led her to this place. Or maybe it was something unique about him. She couldn’t explain why. But she did know that her life would forever be changed for having met him.
* * *
Griffin hiked along the steep dirt path, his favorite trail that wound beneath the double waterfall. He could already hear its roar and the splash in the distance and he hoped the tourists weren’t there yet. His day had started like any other day: responding to emails from students, preparing for the next archaeology class he would teach, and organizing his research for the dig in Greece he would hopefully work on. But he hadn’t planned on meeting someone like Barbara. Beautiful, intense, and full of mystery.
He stared at the bits of blue sky that shone through the treetops, feeling like a firecracker had gone off inside of him—one that made him come alive and made him want to see her again. One minute she was street tough and world-wise, so fierce he thought she might pull a gun on him. The next minute she was soft innocence, so genuine and sensitive, she glided right past his emotional barriers. He checked his watch; he would make time to plan something special for tonight.
His phone rang and the caller I.D. said it was his cousin, lifelong partner-in-crime and, if luck was with them this time, successful business partner.
“Luke, hey buddy, what’s up?”
“You need to start packing, that’s what’s up.”
“Oh, yeah?” Griffin stopped.
“I heard from my contact in the permits department and it looks like we’re getting approved this time, my friend.”
“Get out. Are you certain?”
“Dead certain. They should be giving the college their notification later today. Which reminds me, I heard from Dr. Earhardt in the archaeology department. He said if this excavation goes the way we think it will, he wants us on the tour circuit—seven cities in Europe and twelve in the U.S. It could really happen for us this time, Griff. Uncovering this lost city is going to be a career-maker for the both of us.”
“Way to go, Luke!”
“Hey, I need for you to finish those new drawings of the lost city you were telling me about. Dr. Earhardt wants to try to use it as a sort of branding image on all of the media releases they send out.”
"Alright, I’ll send them this weekend.”
“I need them tonight, actually.”
Griffin looked down at the wide stream that flowed toward the falls. “Can’t tonight, buddy. I’ve got plans.”
“You’re teaching a class?”
“No, not teaching tonight. I’ll do the drawing this weekend.”
Luke sighed hard. “You met a girl, didn’t you?”
Griffin thought about hedging on his answer and decided his cousin knew him too well. “I met a girl.”
“Well, you’re a member of the genetic jackpot club, you meet girls all the time.”
“Not like this, I don’t.” Griffin started walking again. A gentle updraft curled around him with the damp, mossy scent of the forest. Footsteps sounded behind him and he stopped, turned, but didn’t see anyone.
“How different could she be?”
“I don’t know yet, I only met her briefly. All I know is she’s not like anyone I’ve ever met before and I’m going to see her again in a few hours.”
“I doubt she’s all that different from any other girl, Griff. Listen, you and I have had this thing planned since we were ten. Being archaeologists, making a major discovery, touring with the artifacts. We’ve literally talked about this for most of our lives. We’ve both given up a lot for this opportunity. This is it, it’s finally happening. You need to get ready to fly to Greece.”
Griff knew that Luke was wrong about Barbara. There was a softness, a realness to her that most women he’d met didn’t have. But he was right about how long they had chased this dream and how much they had given up. Luke had resigned from his prominent job in the archeology department at Emory when this project got its funding the first time. Griffin hadn’t asked him to do that, but he hadn’t complained when he did. It was Luke’s tireless efforts that made this project come together. Griffin had given up this archaeological quest once, and that nearly killed him—and Luke. He’d let his cousin down before, he wasn’t going to do that again.
“I’ll be there, Luke. Nothing would keep me from it this time.”
7
The man inhaled through his cigarette, then blew a curl of smoke from his position behind the cluster of evergreens. He raised the collar of his shirt around his neck, pleased with himself that he had found h
er.
He watched her gather her suitcase and a couple of overstuffed tote bags, and load them onto the front porch of the small white house. She probably thought she was safe and hidden away. Yet she was alone, without protection and tagged with her husband’s theft. David had been an idiot—stealing from the wrong people, then stupid enough to deny what he’d done. Barbara knew where those diamonds were, she probably had them with her. She must have left because he got close. She would give them back, he was going to make sure of that. He would pass the diamonds to his boss, right after he took his cut. He had invested too much time on this deal not to collect.
It had been tricky to follow her up here without being seen. He’d rented a car, one she’d never seen before. Then he’d followed her around town, keeping his distance but watching her every move. Binoculars helped. But not as much as the GPS tracker he managed to slip into the back of the Jeep before she left town.
His phone buzzed from his back pocket. He walked down the dirt road so she wouldn’t hear him.
“You find her?” the voice said on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, I found her,” he said. “She’s staying in Brevard, small house on one of the lakes up here.”
“Alright. I want you to get in there and look around. Chances are she has the diamonds with her. Just don’t go into the house when she’s there. Got it? Thanks to you the police are involved again. That’s not what I wanted.”
“You said you wanted me to find the diamonds no matter the cost.”
“I said I wanted you to find the diamonds without getting caught!” His boss didn't yell, but the meanness in his tone told Elias he had lost his patience.
“Look, you hired me to do a job. I’m gonna get it done. I don’t need anybody telling me how to do things.”
The man on the other end of the line shot one threat after another at Elias. He knew he was dead if he didn't finish this job. So, he had a new plan.
He’d gotten a real kick out of watching her sleep, standing over her in the dark while she was none the wiser. He shouldn’t be scolded for how he handled things. He ought to be commended. He could have done anything he wanted to her on all those nights when he’d snuck into her home. She was right there, ripe for his picking.
She was such a pretty girl. All that soft brown hair and, though he’d never seen her work out, she looked fit. He had decided. This time he would finally take what he wanted from her. His sweet reward. Then she would be fully persuaded to cough up the diamonds.
“Look, the fact that that husband of hers is dead is helping to motivate her to hand over the diamonds,” he said. “She knows we mean business.”
“The fact that you killed him means that she’s extra paranoid. Everything had quieted down, but now the cops are watching again. You made our job harder than it needed to be.”
The two of them were quiet for a long time. Then Elias finally said, "I have a plan. I know how to get her to give up the diamonds."
His boss remained silent. Elias knew he had lost his trust.
"Do whatever you have to do and don’t get caught. This is your last chance,” he finally said.
Elias hung up the call and started the engine, he wasn’t going to get caught. He checked the time. Very soon he would pay Barbara a special visit.
8
The sliding glass door at the back of the house framed Barbara’s view of a lake that was nearly as blue as the sky, and the unexpected beauty took her breath. This space, this little slice of heaven surrounded her with a sense of protection and feathery peace, like angels’ wings.
She shut and locked the front door behind her, even though she didn't think she needed to be quite so careful here. She was well hidden. Protected. She left her suitcase in the tiny foyer and walked straight to the back of the house. Kris had been right, the house was perfect.
There was one bedroom and one bath, which was all she needed. The living room was filled with a beige pit group that half focused on a big screen TV and half on the view of the lake.
She stepped cautiously onto the back deck and searched the area. Nothing but the scent of pine, beautiful evergreens and the peaceful sound of wildlife. Very different from the path that led her here. An egret flew overhead and splashed in the shallow water near the rocky bank. Owls hooted and birds sang and she thought with welcome relief that she had stepped into a world not entirely her own. One that belonged to the animals, to nature, and one that welcomed her as their guest.
Pop had been right when he told her that she needed to get out of the house for a while. “Sometimes the memories don’t do you any favors,” he had said. “They tie up your heart and make you a prisoner of the past. It feels like your life is over. I know, I went through this when your mother died.”
She texted her father to let him know that she had arrived and that she was safe. He responded by typing that the police were searching David’s warehouse and their condo again in an effort to find the diamonds and any leads on the name Elias.
She filled her lungs with the mountain air, its cool fingers skimming the tension from her body.
Then she dialed Kris and told her about her nextdoor neighbor and the tour he offered her later in the day.
“He’s that handsome?” Kris asked.
“Gorgeous,” Barbara said. “But, I'm wondering. Maybe it's not fair for me to spend time with him. Not with all the chaos that's tethered to me right now. I mean, I wouldn't want to put Griffin in danger, too.” She thought for the ten millionth time how David begged her to leave the country and she hadn’t. She wondered if he would still be alive if she had agreed to travel.
“I think you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself. Don't you think? He’s not asking you to marry him, you’re just making a new friend. Go have fun. Enjoy the conversation. And the scenery.” Kris giggled.
Barbara realized she was overthinking, still stressing. Kris was right. She needed to enjoy this little break. Let the police do their job. Maybe Elias would see how the police searched the warehouse and realize that no one knew where the diamonds were.
“Besides, you have to, so I can live vicariously through you. Now just enjoy yourself, I’m taking care of Pop while you’re gone. Oh, and I got an email from Stephen. It doesn’t look like the Army is going to let him come home early for the baby’s birth.”
“Oh, Kris. I’m so sorry.”
Her sister-in-law sighed hard. “Me, too. So, go have a good time while you can. Before I’m too pregnant or overwhelmed with Mommy duty to give you another break. Send me an update tomorrow on how it went.”
Barb said she would, hung up the call and decided to inspect the house. As safe as she felt here, she still needed to be smart. With gun in hand, she checked the locks on every window and door. She also looked into the closets and searched the walls for small storage areas. She found none. She even searched the attic and, thankfully, didn’t see anything suspicious.
She opened her suitcase and eyed the tumbled mess of clothes. That night came back to her—the creak of Elias’s footsteps, her wrists taped behind her back, the hole between the two condos. The memory fueled a sense of rage. He had wrecked her life, and after she had fought so hard to overcome the cancer, to have a new beginning with her husband. No, she wasn’t going to stay inside today. Kris was right yet again, she needed to step out and meet Griffin. Life was short.
She reached for a pair of shorts and reminded herself that she hadn’t seen anything negative about her new neighbor. Then she remembered she had missed a few key points about David. And that came back to haunt her.
By the time four o’clock rolled around, Barbara had showered and changed into a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her red bikini strings were tied in a bow at the back of her neck. She’d only been able to find one hiking boot, though, so she opted for tennis shoes.
She glanced out the back window now and then, searching for signs of the man in the ski mask who haunted her thoughts. She would know those eyes if ever she sa
w them again. When the knock came, she jumped, body and soul. Her hand gripped the gun that had been sitting beside her like a guard dog, the steel cool beneath her fingers. She parted the living room curtains to get a look at the front porch. Her new nextdoor neighbor faced the door in tailored shorts, a fitted t-shirt. She exhaled slowly and returned the gun to her purse. No one was going to find her up here. She needed to relax.
* * *
“I’m an archaeology Professor at Brevard College. The campus is downtown, you might have passed it on your way out here.” He gestured toward the road she’d probably driven earlier in the day, and then he guided her to the path that ran between their two houses.
“Have you worked there long?” she asked.
“About five years, I guess. Good school. Nice folks. Beautiful area. I’m an archeologist by trade. I teach for half the year, and my cousin and I have a project we’re pursuing in Greece.”
“Beautiful home,” she said as they walked by the side of his house.
“Thanks. Being up here took some getting used to. You know, not many neighbors. There are only five of us up here. The quiet is good for my research, though, so I can’t complain.”
He asked about her work and her interests and she told him how she was an aesthetician, and how she wanted to travel more.
“You like travel?”
“Love it. But I haven’t done much of it in the last few years.”
They stopped at the top of the hill and he pointed to his boat that was parked at the deep water dock behind his house. “I thought a tour of the lake might be the best way to show you the area,” he said.
He watched her look at the boat and then at the silver gray lake that stretched into the distance, curving to the left at the foot of the mountains. Like a path waiting to be taken. "We could still hike if you'd rather do that. Or just swim.”
Chasing Secrets Page 5