I told you, I dont have any enemies!
You must have.
I dont! I dont. She gave a sob and clutched her head in her hands. I dont, she whispered.
After a long silence he said, gently, Im sorry. I know how hard it is to accept
You dont know. She raised her head and looked at him. You have no idea, Detective. Ive always thought people liked me. Or at least they didnt hate me. I try so hard to get along with everyone. And now youre telling me theres someone out there someone who wants to She swallowed and stared ahead, at the darkening road.
Sam let the silence stretch on between them. He knew she was in too fragile a state right now to press her with more questions. And he suspected she was hurting more, both physically and emotionally, than she was letting on. Judging by the condition of her car, her body had taken a brutal beating this afternoon.
In the ER, he paced the waiting room while Nina was examined by the doctor on duty. A few X rays later, she emerged looking even more pale than when shed entered. It was reality sinking in, he thought. The danger was genuine, and she couldnt deny it any longer.
Back in his car, she sat in numb silence. He kept glancing sideways at her, waiting for her to burst into tears, into hysteria, but she remained unnervingly quiet. It concerned him. This wasnt healthy.
He said, You shouldnt be alone tonight. Is there somewhere you can go?
Her response was barely a shrug.
Your mothers? he suggested. Ill take you home to pack a suitcase and
No. Not my mothers, she murmured.
Why not?
Idont want to make thingsuncomfortable for her.
For her? He frowned. Pardon me for asking this, but isnt that what mothers are for? To pick us up and dust us off?
My mothers marriage isntthe most supportive one around.
She cant welcome her own daughter home?
Its not her home, Detective. Its her husbands. And he doesnt approve of me. To be honest, the feelings mutual. She gazed straight ahead, and in that moment, she struck him as so very brave. And so very alone.
Since the day they got married, Edward Warrenton has controlled every detail of my mothers life. He bullies her, and she takes it without a whimper. Because his money makes it all worthwhile for her. I just couldnt stand watching it any longer. So one day I told him off.
Sounds like thats exactly what you should have done.
It didnt do a thing for family harmony. Im sure thats why he went on that business trip to Chicago. So he could conveniently skip my wedding. Sighing, she tilted her head back against the headrest. I know I shouldnt be annoyed with my mother, but I am. Im annoyed that shes never stood up to him.
Okay. So I dont take you to your mothers house. What about dear old dad? Do you two get along?
She gave a nod. A small one. I suppose I could stay with him.
Good. Because theres no way Im going to let you be alone tonight. The sentence was scarcely out of his mouth when he realized he shouldnt have said it. It sounded too much as if he cared, as if feeling were getting mixed up with duty. He was too good a cop, too cautious a cop, to let that happen.
He could feel her surprised gaze through the darkness of the car.
In a tone colder than hed intended, he said, You may be my only link to this bombing. I need you alive and well for the investigation.
Oh. Of course. She looked straight ahead again. And she didnt say another word until theyd reached her house on Ocean View Drive.
As soon as hed parked, she started to get out of the car. He reached for her arm and pulled her back inside. Wait.
What is it?
Just sit for a minute. He glanced up and down the road, scanning for other cars, other people. Anything at all suspicious. The street was deserted.
Okay, he said. He got out and circled around to open her door. Pack one suitcase. Thats all we have time for.
I wasnt planning to bring along the furniture.
Im just trying to keep this short and sweet. If someones really looking for you, this is where theyll come. So lets not hang around, all right?
That remark, meant to emphasize the danger, had its intended effect. She scooted out of the car and up the front walk in hyperspeed. He had to convince her to wait on the porch while he made a quick search of the house.
A moment later he poked his head out the door. All clear.
While she packed a suitcase, Sam wandered about the living room. It was an old but spacious house, tastefully furnished, with a view of the sea. Just the sort of house one would expect a doctor to live in. He went over to the grand piano a Steinway and tapped out a few notes. Who plays the piano? he called out.
Robert, came the answer from the bedroom. Afraid I have a tin ear.
He focused on a framed photograph set on the piano. It was a shot of a couple, smiling. Nina and some blond, blue-eyed man. Undoubtedly Robert Bledsoe. The guy, it seemed, had everything: looks, money and a medical degree. And the woman. A woman he no longer wanted. Sam crossed the room to a display of diplomas, hanging on the wall. All of them Robert Bledsoes. Groton prep. B.A. Dartmouth. M.D. Harvard. Dr. Bledsoe was Ivy League all the way. He was every mothers dream son-in-law. No wonder Lydia Warrenton had urged her daughter to patch things up.
The phone rang, the sound so abrupt and startling, Sam felt an instant rush of adrenaline.
Should I get it? Nina asked. She was standing in the doorway, her face drawn and tense.
He nodded. Answer it.
She crossed to the telephone. After a seconds hesitation, she picked up the receiver. He moved right beside her, listening, as she said, Hello?
No one answered.
Hello? Nina repeated. Who is this? Hello?
There was a click. Then, a moment later, the dial tone.
Nina looked up at Sam. She was standing so close to him, her hair, like black silk, brushed his face. He found himself staring straight into those wide eyes of hers, found himself reacting to her nearness with an unexpected surge of male longing.
This isnt supposed to happen. I cant let it happen.
He took a step back, just to put space between them. Even though they were now standing a good three feet apart, he could still feel the attraction. Not far enough apart, he thought. This woman was getting in the way of his thinking clearly, logically. And that was dangerous.
He looked down and suddenly noticed the telephone answering machine was blinking. He said, You have messages.
Pardon?
Your answering machine. Its recorded three messages.
Dazedly she looked down at the machine. Automatically she pressed the Play button.
There were three beeps, followed by three silences, and then dial tones.
Pardon?
Your answering machine. Its recorded three messages.
Dazedly she looked down at the machine. Automatically she pressed the Play button.
There were three beeps, followed by three silences, and then dial tones.
Seemingly paralyzed, she stared at the machine. Why? she whispered. Why do they call and hang up?
To see if youre home.
The implication of his statement at once struck her full force. She flinched away from the phone as if it had burned her. I have to get out of here, she said, and hurried back into the bedroom.
He followed her. She was tossing clothes into a suitcase, not bothering to fold anything. Slacks and blouses and lingerie in one disorganized pile.
Just the essentials, he said. Lets leave.
Yes. Yes, youre right. She whirled around and ran into the bathroom. He heard her rattling in the cabinets, collecting toiletries. A moment later she reemerged with a bulging makeup bag, which she tossed in the suitcase.
He closed and latched it for her. Lets go.
In the car, she sat silent and huddled against the seat as he drove. He kept checking the rearview mirror, to see if they were being followed, but he saw no other headlights. No signs of pursuit.
Relax, were okay, he said. Ill just get you to your dads house, and youll be fine.
And then what? she said softly. How long do I hide there? For weeks, months?
As long as it takes for us to crack this case.
She shook her head, a sad gesture of bewilderment. It doesnt make sense. None of this makes sense.
Maybe itll become clear when we talk to your fiancé. Do you have any idea where he might be?
It seems that Im the last person Robert wanted to confide in Hugging herself, she stared out the window. His note said he was leaving town for a while. I guess he just needed to get away. From me
From you? Or from someone else?
She shook her head. Theres so much I dont know. So much he never bothered to tell me. God, I wish I understood. I could handle this. I could handle anything. If only I understood.
What kind of man is Robert Bledsoe? Sam wondered. What kind of man would walk away from this woman? Leave her alone to face the danger left in his wake?
Whoever made that hang-up call may pay a visit to your house, he said. Id like to keep an eye on it. See who turns up.
She nodded. Yes. Of course.
May I have access?
You meanget inside?
If our suspect shows up, he may try to break in. Id like to be waiting for him.
She stared at him. You could get yourself killed.
Believe me, Miss Cormier, Im not the heroic type. I dont take chances.
But if he does show up
Ill be ready. He flashed her a quick grin for reassurance. She didnt look reassured. If anything, she looked more frightened than ever.
For me? he wondered. And that, inexplicably, lifted his spirits. Terrific. Next thing he knew, hed be putting his neck in a noose, and all because of a pair of big brown eyes. This was just the kind of situation cops were warned to avoid: assuming the role of hero to some fetching female. It got men killed.
It could get him killed.
You shouldnt do this by yourself, she said.
I wont be alone. Ill have backup.
Youre sure?
Yeah, Im sure.
You promise? You wont take any chances?
What are you, my mother? he snapped in exasperation.
She took her keys out of her purse and slapped them on the dashboard. No, Im not your mother, she retorted.
But youre the cop in charge. And I need you alive and well to crack this case.
He deserved that. Shed been concerned about his safety, and hed responded with sarcasm. He didnt even know why. All he knew was, whenever he looked in her eyes, he had the overwhelming urge to turn tail and run. Before he was trapped.
Moments later, they drove past the wrought iron gates of her fathers driveway. Nina didnt even wait for Sam to open her door. She got out of the car and started up the stone steps. Sam followed, carrying her suitcase. And ogling the house. It was huge even more impressive than Lydia Warrentons home, and it had the Rolls-Royce of security systems. Tonight, at least, Nina should be safe.