Nine

21

Sandia Peak, New Mexico

Tuesday, May 20, 5:04 P.M.

Frederick nearly lost sight of Meghan while trying to ditch the woman he had been kissing.

“We won’t be leaving for another hour,” the woman said to him, gazing up at him, her lips swollen.

A good kisser, he thought, with a little regret. If he weren’t on a mission, he was sure he could have taken her somewhere semi-secluded and given her the best sex she’d ever had in her life. God knew she was hot for it. He admitted to himself that he was hot for her, too. Well, at least he had her number-he’d see if he had any juice left when he was done boning Meghan. He glanced up to see Meghan walking into the Peak Experience Restaurant, then smiled down at the woman who clung to him.

“Sorry, boyakina, business before pleasure.”

She laughed. “Did you just call me your ‘spoon rest’?”

He turned her around and pressed his crotch against her backside. He wrapped his arms across her chest, moving his hands inside her jacket, brushing his thumbs over her nipples with practiced care, then pulling at them a little as they responded. Breathing gently into her ear, he whispered, “Boyakina, because I like spooning with you. Do you mind if I call you that?”

“No,” she said breathlessly.

He laughed softly and released her, setting her a little apart from him. “Now go on, join the others. What time do you think you’ll be back home and ready for company after the hike?”

She was dazed, but answered, “Midnight, maybe a little earlier.”

He smiled and said, “Then, we’ll end our masquerade at midnight, all right?”

“I don’t want to leave you,” she said.

He checked his temper and transformed his expression into one of deep disappointment. “You don’t trust me, do you? Of course not. I can’t blame you, really. It’s just that I had hoped you were feeling-”

“Oh! Of course I do! I’m sorry! Please-I won’t say another word. I’m going. I’m going right now.”

She smiled-bravely, he thought-and turned to walk off to join the others. While her back was turned, he hurriedly moved out of sight. He was afraid she might try to enact a prolonged scene, and he wondered how much Meghan might be able to see from the windows of the restaurant. He remembered that Meghan had dinner reservations at the restaurant, so he knew where she’d be for at least another forty-five minutes or more. It would be worth hiding near the tram platform for a few of those minutes, just to make sure he wouldn’t be followed by his latest conquest. He spent most of this time fantasizing about what Meghan would look like naked and completely under his control.

“Why do we have to wait in here for her?” Spooky asked. The words were a little distorted. She had polished off her third Shirley Temple and was, for the third time, trying to tie a knot in a maraschino cherry stem using only her tongue.

Thirteen, Kit thought to himself. “Because this is where she’s expecting to meet us.”

He kept his eyes moving, staying aware of the other patrons in the restaurant, watching those who seemed to be watching the door. He was out of cell phone range, so he couldn’t check to see if she had made it safely to the tram. He considered using a pay phone to call the man who had been sent to guard Meghan, but he decided to wait a few more minutes.

Spooky took a loosely knotted stem from her mouth in triumph, then complained that he wasn’t paying attention. When that didn’t prove effective, she said, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

He glanced at the restaurant doors and then at his watch. Meghan was running a little late. Should he go out to the platform? Try calling her cell phone? Maybe he’d call her while Spooky was in the bathroom. “Okay. But promise me two things-”

“Let me guess. I won’t rob anyone in the restroom,” she said impatiently. “And I won’t start any fires.”

“Thanks. Hurry, all right?”

She frowned, said, “Why should I? Your girlfriend’s not in any hurry.”

She then strolled off at a leisurely pace. He knew he had doomed himself-she’d take as long as possible now.

In the next moment, his thoughts were completely distracted from Spooky. Meghan Taggert walked into the restaurant.

He had wondered if she would look different. She did. She wasn’t the teenaged Meghan whose image he held in his mind, or the girl in half a dozen cherished photos taken during visits to her family’s home when he was in high school with her brother. She had matured from the pretty girl every boy in Malibu had wanted to date to a woman who, dressed in blue jeans, a loose sweater, and hiking boots, radiated elegance and an indefinable something, a quality of which Kit could already see the usual effects: women studying her with slight frowns on their faces, men with drinks half-lifted to their mouths-halted mid-action as they stared.

If she was aware of these effects, she didn’t reveal it in any way. She scanned the room as if its population didn’t exist, then saw him and smiled.

He was glad he didn’t have a drink in his hand.

He stood and began walking toward her, and her smile widened, and he found himself smiling back. As he came nearer, he saw that she was opening her arms, and he realized she was going to hug him, so he quickly forced his mind to put up one of the mental partitions that he built whenever he needed to cope with what at times seemed to him an embrace-crazed society. But although no one else ever had noticed this slight withdrawal, she seemed to sense it immediately and changed the motion a little, so that she merely lightly touched his shoulders before dropping her arms. Her smile seemed to waver, and he felt something in the region of his chest waver with it. Then she said in her husky voice, “Kit Logan, it’s been far too long since I’ve seen you.”

He felt a sudden urge to do something that-from the age of ten-he had never done of his own volition with an adult woman. He wanted to open his arms to her.

But then the memories came pushing and shoving their way into his awareness, and the desire passed.

“Yes,” he said, “I’ve missed you.”

She smiled up at him, and he let out a breath he had not realized he was holding.

“This must be Malibu week in Albuquerque,” she said. “You’ll never guess who I saw making out with his girlfriend in the tram.”

“Who?” he asked sharply.

“What’s wrong?”

He tried to keep his voice calm. He was thinking of the ones who killed Molly, though, and the incident at the hotel, and wondered if the FBI had ever been watching Meghan, or if his suspicions were right. “If you saw someone from Malibu, I don’t think it was a coincidence.”

“It was just Freddy,” she said. “You know, Freddy the Fourth.” She said it lightly, but he could tell that she had started to worry, too.

“Where is he now?”

She looked around. “I don’t see him. Probably with the group of hikers he was with. By the way, where’s Spooky?”

“In the women’s room. Listen, I’m going to take a look around, to see if I can find him, just to make sure he’s actually going on the hike. Would you mind going into the women’s room and waiting there with Spooky until I figure out where he is?”

She was studying him in the way she used to study him when he was a teenager. Assessing something he had told her, sorting out for herself whether or not it was part of his craziness. “Okay,” she said. “But what if-what if something happens to you?”

“Nothing will happen to me,” he said. “I’m not going to confront him unless he tries to hurt you or Spooky. In fact, I don’t want him to know I’m here, if I can help it. I just want to try to figure out what he’s up to.” He described Spooky and what she was wearing. He then asked Meghan to describe what Freddy was wearing.

“And the girlfriend? What did she look like?”

She told him, then said, “Now that I think about it, she was dressed for hiking. He wasn’t really, was he?”

“I’ll find out.”

She came with him as he hurried to the table and collected his jacket and Spooky’s, and paid for the drinks. He gave Spooky’s jacket to Meghan.

He also wrote a quick note to Spooky on a cocktail napkin and gave it to Meghan.

“Don’t let her intimidate you,” he warned.

She laughed. “I won’t.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Be careful,” she said, and walked off. He watched until he was sure she had safely entered the women’s room. He waited another minute, just in case Spooky came bounding out in rebellion. He didn’t even hear raised voices, though, so he made his way to the restaurant entrance.

There, he approached the woman who was seating newly arrived customers. “Mr. Logan,” she said, smiling at him. “I saw your friend arrive. So did all the men in the place. Is your party ready to be seated now?”

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “But I’m afraid we’re going to have to leave without dining.” He took two one-hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and gave one to her. “Someone may come in and ask for Ms. Taggert-his name is Fred. He’s an old boyfriend who has followed her up here. Rather than make a scene in the restaurant, I’d like to treat him to dinner. That’s what the hundred’s for.”

“Generous of you,” she said. “I don’t get it, though.”

“He might try to tell you that he’s her brother. He may even claim that he’s with the FBI.”

“The FBI!”

“Ridiculous, isn’t it? He may even have some realistic-looking ID. If he says that he’s with the FBI, offer to verify that with the local FBI field office, and I think he’ll take the next tram downhill. But if he says he’s her brother or gives his own name, please seat him at my table-without letting him know I’m here, please. Perhaps you could pretend she’s been waiting for a gentleman to join her, and tell him the table’s hers and that she’ll be right back?”

The hostess laughed and erased “Logan-3” in her reservations book, then replaced it with “Taggert-2.”

He smiled and gave her the other hundred. “That one is for your trouble.”

“Mr. Logan-that’s not necessary.”

“No, I know it’s not. So you don’t need to feel bad about taking it. One other thing-could I use the service road?”

“No problem.”

He told her to watch for a young man with light, short hair, blue eyes, and wearing an aviator jacket. “He might be wearing sunglasses,” he added.

“Indoors?”

“Oh yes.”

He hurried outside.

Kit stood still and listened. Meghan said Freddy was with a group of hikers, and now he heard the voices of a group of people gathering to the left of where he stood. He walked around the building until he saw them. He casually approached one of the men who seemed to be a group leader and began asking questions.

A moonlight hike. Yes, it was a big group, but they had another fifteen who had started a little later and would probably be coming up on the next tram. Yes, a hiking club based in Albuquerque. Freddy? No, he didn’t think there was a Freddy in the group.

After waiting to make sure his little boyakina wasn’t going to come back toward the tram platform, Frederick entered the restaurant, looking self-assured. He achieved this by asking himself, “What would James Dean do in this situation?”

The answer came to him immediately. James Dean would be cool. You would look at James Dean and say, “That guy is so cool, I will give him whatever he wants.”

He walked up to the hostess, who was smiling delightedly at him, and said, “Ms. Taggert is waiting for me-I’m her brother.”

“Of course,” she said, her eyes twinkling. He wondered if he should have used the FBI routine instead, but then the hostess said, “She’s been waiting for you. Let me take you to her table.”

He couldn’t believe how easy this was. But as they neared the table, he didn’t see Meghan.

“She just went to use the ladies’ room,” the hostess said. “She said to tell you that she went ahead and ordered, and that you should do the same while you wait for her. Shall I send a server over?”

He ordered a beer and said he’d wait until he saw Meghan before he ordered anything more.

“Coming right up,” the hostess said.

He could make women happy, he decided, just by smiling at them.

Spooky was making faces at herself in the mirror when Meghan came into the restroom. She quickly stopped and turned to frown at Meghan.

Meghan could see how it was that Kit had mistaken Spooky for a boy. Three years after he had found her in a men’s room, she still looked as if she could have walked into one without causing anyone to doubt that she belonged there.

“You’re Meghan,” Spooky said, and went back to making faces.

“Yes. I have your jacket.”

Her face squished between her hands, she looked at Meghan and said, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I have a note for you from Kit.”

Spooky raised a brow, then crossed her arms. “Let me guess. ‘Dear Spooky, Get your ass out of the bathroom. Now that Meghan is here, we can finally get on with life.’”

“No, but-I’m sorry, am I making you late for something?”

Spooky said, “To take a dump. Excuse me, I have to use the can.” She closed herself into a stall.

Meghan didn’t think it likely that Spooky had delayed bodily functions on her account, but since Kit wanted them to wait in here anyway, she didn’t object to this part of the drama. In fact, she was glad they’d get the business of meeting each other over with, without Kit hovering protectively in their midst as some sort of referee.

“How did you recognize me?” she asked.

“Wouldn’t your big ego like to know?”

“I recognized you because Kit has told me about you,” Meghan said. “I don’t think there’s anyone else he cares more about than you.”

“He cares more about his dead dog.”

Meghan didn’t say anything for a moment. “I was sorry to hear about Molly. She had been with Kit for a long time.”

“She was old. Older than me.”

“When she died, it must have been hard on you, too.”

“You know what I’m not going to do? I’m not going to sit on this crapper talking to you about my dog, okay?”

“Okay.”

Spooky faked farting sounds.

“Charming.”

“Isn’t it, though? I fart all the time. Maybe you should find somebody else to take you to California, because I’m probably going to fart all the way there. You’re probably too prissy to fart.”

“Most of the time, good manners do keep me from doing that when I’m around other people, but I can see that manners don’t matter to you at all-so get ready, because if we’re all going to be so free about it, that car’s going to smell like the bean factory’s company picnic.”

She heard a little snort of laughter from behind the stall. It was quickly suppressed, but Meghan figured she had made some progress.

She waited in silence, then heard Spooky say angrily, “You can’t fix him, you know.”

“Kit? I don’t think he’s broken.”

“He’s crazy.”

“No, he’s not.”

“Shows what you know.”

“He makes mistakes, that’s all. He told me you were thirteen.”

“I am.”

“Could have fooled me. Aren’t you a little old for potty humor?”

“You tell me, bean eater. And he is crazy.”

“Why do you live with him, then?”

“Craziness runs in our family.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but Kit isn’t crazy. He has problems, but who doesn’t? He’s not like everyone else, but I think that’s why I like him.”

“Do you love him?”

“You won’t talk about Molly in here, I won’t talk about what I feel for Kit. Maybe another time.”

“Shit. You do love him.”

Meghan didn’t answer.

After several minutes, Spooky said, “I knew you were Meghan, because he has pictures of you.”

Meghan was surprised by this and was glad Spooky couldn’t see her face.

“You’re prettier now,” Spooky said, then added quickly, “but don’t let it go to your head. It probably makes other women hate you.”

“A few I don’t worry about. Maybe I should meet everyone in bathrooms. They could get to know me without seeing my face.”

“You should work at a place for the blind.”

“I have.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Cool. What was it like?”

“I enjoyed it.”

“So if you don’t want to be judged by your looks, maybe you should go back to work there and leave those of us in bathrooms alone.”

“I meet more people this way. Not everyone is blind-at least, not literally. But sooner or later, everyone has to-”

Spooky laughed. “Hand me Kit’s note. There’s no TP in here.”

“Come out and get it.”

Another woman entered the bathroom then, and Spooky came out of the stall. She washed her hands, then took her jacket from Meghan. “This doesn’t mean I like you.”

“I wouldn’t want it to be that easy.”

“Let me see the note-please.”

Meghan handed it to her. Spooky’s eyes widened as she read it. She shot a look of pure rage at Meghan. “You didn’t tell me! He could be in trouble! You stupid bitch-”

“Spooky-”

But she evaded Meghan’s grasp and ran out of the room.

Meghan hurried after her but hadn’t taken more than two steps from the bathroom when Frederick Whitfield IV grabbed her by the arm.

“Sex with young boys in bathrooms, Meghan? Even I wouldn’t have guessed it.”

Spooky heard him and turned just in time to see Meghan move back, bend, and then twist, throwing Frederick off balance. With another quick motion, she sent him head over heels, so that he landed with a loud whump on his back. He rolled to his stomach, winded, and tried to get to his feet, but Spooky ran forward, asked, “Are you all right, sir?” and landed both knees in his back.

“Go!” Meghan shouted, and they both ran out of the restaurant.

Some restaurant patrons saw a woman and a boy run out of the Peak Experience. A few more saw the man who followed them, sometime later. The hostess, seating a couple who had just arrived, heard about it when she came back to her station and wondered if she should call the sheriff. She decided to give Mr. Logan a few more minutes to settle his problems privately.

Kit was driving up the service road to the restaurant when Meghan and Spooky came charging toward him. He braked hard, and Spooky yelled to Meghan, “Get in the front seat!

“Turn around!” Spooky shouted as she got in back, but Kit was already turning the wheel as they slammed and locked their doors. He stepped on the accelerator, leaving Frederick Whitfield IV in a cloud of dust.

The women cheered.

He slowed a little, then eased onto the main road. “What exactly did you two do back there?” Kit asked.

“Oh man!” Spooky said, laughing. “Meghan kicks ass!”

He smiled, then said, “Okay, but do I need to send a check to the Peak Experience to pay for the damage?”

“Let Freddy pay for it,” Meghan said, catching her breath.

“He’ll have a hard time doing that,” Spooky said, holding up Frederick Whitfield IV’s wallet and a set of keys to a Bronco.

“Spooky…”

“I said I wouldn’t rob anyone in the women’s room.”

“Spooky,” Meghan said, “kicks ass.”

Spooky frowned, then said, “Just because you can fight-”

“-doesn’t mean you like me. I know. Likewise, I’m sure.”

Kit sighed, then drove a little faster.