The Witness

Chapter Ten

THE SHARP COLD HAD EASED by Wednesday morning, and the chief appreciated that fact as he walked with Caroline St. James through the grounds of a private home on the border of the next county east of town. “You’re comfortable with the security?”

“I put a guy on it yesterday afternoon to confirm things, and it came back as solid.”

The location was perfect, and the place-he would have never thought the ambassador to Denmark lived in the area, but then he hadn’t expected Caroline to find him something ordinary. “How’d you arrange it?”

“I asked a favor, and he had the keys dropped off. I know him from my army days when he was on the NATO staff.”

“Dated his son?”

She smiled at him. “A friend did. I knew the place was empty while he was abroad. His son stayed here most recently, but he got deployed to Guam a few months back. It will do?”

“In spades. Secluded, good security, solid-rock walls on the perimeter-it’s probably as close to a fortress as this county has for an estate.”

“I’ve still got some work to do to make sure there are safe secondary locations nearby if needed and arrangements made to have dogs on the grounds, but that won’t take much beyond your money to solve.”

“Spend it, as much as you need.”

“I will. I’ll pick up food from the caterers at four and have it set up by, say, six. Nothing fancy, just stuff that can keep hot easily on warming trays that will taste better the longer it heats. The living room will have both fireplaces lit, and I’ll see about some music. It should be comfortable enough to give a few conversation points if there’s a delay between when everyone arrives. The only room in the house that would be considered off-limits is already securely locked. If they end up wanting to talk until 3 a.m., push them toward guest rooms-there are several-and I’ll have breakfast stuff on hand. Amy can leave the next evening once it’s full dark. It won’t be a problem to take the extra day. I didn’t tell the ambassador what was going down, but he’s had enough under-the-radar meetings to appreciate the request and why I made it.”

“I appreciate the possibility. The sisters will want the time, so it’s just a matter of how Amy’s handling it.”

Caroline handed over a slip of paper. “Security codes for the front gate that I’ve already changed now for our stay. I’ll revert them back before I return the keys. Tell Amy to pull all the way around and into the garage. I’ll make sure there are open slots. She can walk through the breezeway into the house without having to step outdoors. There’s half-a-mile visibility on the main road approaching the gate. If she’s got a tail when she makes that last turnoff, let her know there’s a maintenance road just past the larger of the three boulders, and it’s possible to make that turn and speed east. She’ll knock around the car shocks, but it’s a clear shot right to the interstate, and for busting a tail that’s where I would head.”

“I’ll pass the word.”

“When is she calling again?”

“Eight tonight.”

“I’ll have the secondary locations arranged by then at the local hotels, probably an apartment building too, if she wants to use one earlier in the day to help ease her way this direction.”

Luke nodded. The arrangements for the meeting were tight. Now it was down to things no one could control-how the sisters reacted, if they could handle having to be silent about the truth in the future days, whether Amy accepted staying around the area or this really did become the only time they would see each other until this was resolved… so many factors that would have to simply be dealt with as they came.

“She’ll stay this time; Amy will stay.”

He smiled at Caroline’s confidence. “I’m smart enough not to take that bet, but I’ll hope.” He put the slip of paper into his pocket. “Anything I can do for you in return? This was mountain moving in forty-eight hours.”

“I’ll call you for lunch one day, and you can take me someplace extra nice.”

“Consider it a standing invitation. How’s your uncle doing?”

She shrugged. “Old enough he’ll accept help but not old enough yet that it doesn’t bother him to need the help. We get along fine and always have-I just smile and pester him about what needs done next until he gives me another item on the list of what is bugging him the most. My cousin’s going to come back and work the farm with him next year, and that will solve a lot of it. Most of the problem was simply the fact he was lonely and wasn’t going to admit it to anyone. And it wasn’t like I didn’t have some time to share.”

“Just don’t get too settled out there, okay? I really do want you back.”

She smiled. “It’s nice to be wanted. I’ll think about it, Chief. That’s the best I can offer. Where are you heading next?”

“To see Sam. Anything you want me to pass along?”

“I had breakfast with him this morning; I think I know what he does on the threats out of New York. You might want to check on the change of ID he was arranging for Amy. She really needs a new ID already in her pocket, given the speed this has been unfolding.”

“I’ll do that. Thanks, Caroline.”

“Anytime, Chief. I’ll admit it has been nice to briefly get back into the game.”

Marie sorted out her jewelry Thursday as she dressed for the evening out. Connor had said elegant, a nice restaurant out of town, a movie. The elegance was not hard, for spending enough money had solved the dress problem, but the rest of it-the jewelry, the perfume, how she wore her hair-she didn’t want to overplay the fact it was their first formal date. Connor coming over Sunday night and working with her in the gallery moving paintings around from storage and debating with her the best way to do the displays didn’t count as being a date even if they had ended up sharing delivered-in Chinese food.

She elected to wear her newly bought bracelet and a locket kept on a thin gold chain-Mandy’s locket, retrieved by the investigator from a pawnshop and returned to her with his apology that he couldn’t bring good news. Having something of Mandy’s with her helped settle her nerves. If her oldest sister was alive, she would have been perched on the bed and laughing with her about the nerves before a date, doing it kindly and talking about guys and how incredibly nice it was to have one decide to focus on you. Marie chose medium-height heels and found a small clutch purse for her keys and a comb. She leaned toward the mirror and checked her lipstick one last time.

“Oh yes. Very nice.”

Marie smiled at Tracey in the mirror. “You look quite elegant yourself.”

“Marsh told me we’re going ballroom dancing, as if that was something he really would like to do.”

Marie smiled. “He’s kind that way.”

“At least willing to take a risk just because he knows I’ll enjoy it,” Tracey agreed, leaning against the edge of the dresser. “You’ll be okay tonight?”

Marie lifted one eyebrow.

“Connor isn’t going to be making a serious pass or anything?”

Marie chuckled. “I doubt it; I expect he might want to hold my hand. He’s nice at preferring this doesn’t rush past the finer points of dating. He brought me chocolates Sunday and daisies.”

“Marsh took me out to eat and then insisted we go see a musical that wasn’t really his cup of tea. You could tell he was over-trying, kind of like tonight. I’ve wanted him to propose for so incredibly long… the money kind of destroyed any hope of that anytime soon.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“Probably. But I’m miserable while I wait. Not that I don’t like sharing this place with you, but knowing Marsh, he’ll propose and then want to wait a year for the wedding or some such nonsense.”

Marie laughed and hugged her sister. “I doubt it will be more than a couple months. Maybe tonight.”

“He hasn’t even dropped a hint.” Tracey forced a smile and stepped back. “But I’m not giving up hope. Have a good time tonight, Sis. I like Connor.”

“So do I.”

The doorbell rang, and Tracey disappeared to answer it. Marsh had said six and Connor had suggested six-thirty. Marie finished her makeup touch-ups, letting her sister leave without a lot of polite conversation to slow them down.

I hope you do propose soon, Marsh. She’s on the good side of impatient right now, wanting so much to be your wife. You’d be wonderful for Tracey, the kind of guy that will love her forever.

She closed her purse and walked into the living room to wait for Connor to arrive. She’d have to ask a few subtle questions over dinner and see what Connor thought was going on.

The movie was too serious a drama for much laughter, but at least the romance in it was subdued to not be embarrassing to watch with a guy she was just getting to know. Marie liked watching the story unfold, the way the director had put meaning into the simple facts of life that went with being married-the grocery shopping, the mail, the phone calls when it was family checking in. She shared popcorn with Connor and thought about how long it had been since she had last shared a movie with a date. Way too long. As nice as dinner had been, and she’d remember it for a long time, this was even nicer. Connor had been holding her hand for most of the movie.

Connor handed her the popcorn box and shifted in his seat to unclip the pager from his belt to read the text message.

“Trouble?” she whispered as she saw him clear the message and return the pager to his belt.

He reached over and gripped her hand again, and she was surprised at the sense of tension she felt in him. “No trouble, just good news.”

She turned her hand to settle it more firmly in his. He hadn’t talked much about his job and the fact he had returned to work this week. But it was there, skimming just under the surface. She’d sensed the tension in him when he had called in the evenings to chat. He had mentioned he didn’t leave work behind as easily as Marsh did, but he ducked her questions about it. Good news that left him tense-she rubbed her thumb alongside his and wondered who it was that had been arrested.