Читать книгу A Face in the Shadows - Lenora Worth - Страница 14

Parker glanced up from reading over some pamphlets and brochures the deliveryman had left. Patch and Daisy were going crazy out there about something. He’d let them stay out back after he’d shown the deliveryman the storage shed near the pool house. Watching them out the open French doors, he saw the dogs heading around the house toward the front.

Couldn’t be the delivery truck. Parker had seen it leaving. Maybe someone else was at the gate, but he wasn’t expecting anyone. Hurrying to check the security camera located above his desk, he rewound the tape.

Someone had definitely been at the gate, but he hadn’t heard the buzzer since he’d been in the storage house.

Parker blinked. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Kate. What was she doing out there on foot?

Wondering what was going on, he grabbed a cane and headed up the central hallway toward the big front door. Maybe Kate’s car had broken down out on the road.

Hurrying toward the tall ceiling-to-floor windows, Parker checked the driveway but didn’t see any vehicles. And Kate was nowhere to be found now, either. But he could sure still hear the dogs barking.

He went to the other window, then stopped, his hand on a sheer white curtain as he watched a woman sprinting across his yard with Patch and Daisy hot on her trail.

Parker shook his head. “Okay, there’s a woman running across my property, with my dogs chasing her. Not good. Not good at all.”

His heart slammed against his ribs as he headed to the front door, planning to call off his dogs before they caught up to her. Just as he opened the door, however, she came bounding up the low stone steps to the wide front porch. And because she was looking back at the dogs, she didn’t see Parker standing there with the door open.

Kate Brooks ran right into Parker’s waiting arms, causing him to lose his balance. Parker was propelled back to the floor with a skid and a thud, his cane going in one direction as his body slammed down with a jarring hit. The dogs caught up, still growling and panting as their paws hit wood and scratched hard after Parker shouted a command for them to halt.

“Ouch,” Parker said once he was sure the dogs were secure. He steadied himself, then looked up, taking in Kate’s falling hair and wide, frightened eyes. “It is you.”

She stared down at him, her face red from running, her hands unsteady as she held them on his shoulders. “Uh, hi, Parker. Did you get any of my messages? Didn’t you hear me buzzing the intercom by the gate?”

Before he could answer, Patch and Daisy inched closer, Patch growling and Daisy whimpering hello to Kate.

“Down,” Parker said in a firm tone, causing both dogs to back off and turn in circles. “Sit,” Parker said, afraid to move in case he was dreaming. But the pain shooting through his leg told him this was real. That and the woman in his arms. “Patch, Daisy, I said stay.”

The dogs sat back to wait for his next command.

“That’s better.” Having settled his overly protective dogs, he centered his attention on the woman who’d just fallen with him. She smelled like spring and looked as though she’d been tossed by a strong breeze. He covered his joy and surprise with a glib reaction. “Let me guess? You were just in the neighborhood?”

“I did try calling you,” she replied as she pushed up and sank back on the floor to stare at him. “And I did try to buzz myself in.” Then she shot the dogs a wary eye. “Is it safe?”

Parker followed her gaze to the two dogs. “They’re pretty harmless. Unless I tell them otherwise.”

“Are you going to do that?” she challenged, that soft Kate smile on her face. “Since you obviously don’t want me here.”

“Depends.” He got up, ignoring his throbbing right leg, then offered her his hand. “Do you come in peace?”

Kate took his hand only long enough to get herself up and steady, then she stood back, straightening the lightweight navy hoodie she was wearing over a T-shirt and jeans. “I only came here because you didn’t return my calls.” Then she watched as he managed to pick up his cane. “Oh, are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Just peachy.” Parker couldn’t believe she’d gone to so much trouble, but he didn’t let on that he was impressed. “Did you stop to think maybe I chose not to return your calls?”

She circled him, her gaze sweeping over the long Queen Anne table and twelve matching chairs in the formal dining room just off the hall. “Yes, I thought that. But then, I also thought that even if you and I haven’t seen much of each other since college, I still consider you a friend. And friends help each other out. Or are you too far above helping a friend now?”

Parker stood back, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at her. “I have a lot of so-called friends these days, which means I have to be careful.”

She pulled the elastic band off her hair, then tugged it onto her wrist, allowing all that pretty hair to fall free around her face and shoulders. “So you don’t trust anyone, not even me? Is that it? Is that why you’ve been ignoring me?”

“I have to pick and choose,” he replied, wondering how he could explain this without looking like a pompous snob. “I don’t like to waste time and I especially don’t like interruptions. And lately, with all the media attention about Josie’s murder, well, as I said, I just have to be careful.” Then he shrugged. “I didn’t hear the buzzer earlier because I was out in the storage shed with a deliveryman.”

“Right.”

She didn’t believe him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t let you in.”

“Well, as you said, we’re all being careful these days.” She moved around the hallway, her gaze taking in the antique walnut hall tree and the Chippendale secretary. Then she whirled around, disbelief and doubt evident in her bright eyes. “Look, Parker, everyone in town knows you’re rich and famous now, so why don’t you just get over yourself and let me explain why I’m here.”

He leaned back against the secretary, a slight grin forming on his face. No one did self-righteous indignation better than Kate. “So you’re not overly impressed with my success?”

“Oh, I’m impressed,” she said, waving a hand in the air. “I mean, who wouldn’t be? This place is like something out of a Hollywood movie set. But I just never figured you’d go all cold and uppity to the point that you wouldn’t even return a phone call. This isn’t the press—this is me, Kate. I thought we were friends. Honestly, why’d you come back here if you don’t want to associate with anyone?”

He wanted to tell her that he’d picked up the phone several times, longing to hear her voice, wanting to find out what she needed. But he’d never dialed her number. Not because he was too uppity, but because he couldn’t risk getting too close again. So instead, he said, “I liked the house.” It was his standard answer when people got too personal.

She nodded, pushed her hair off her shoulder. “So you like your house, but not your friends? I thought we reconnected at the reunion and then…nothing. Not a word from my old buddy Parker. How rude is that?” She wagged a finger in his face. “I think you like being able to lord it over all of us.”

“I might,” he said, smiling at last. “So, is that why you broke into my home, to let me have it for being so rude?”

She held up a finger again. “I didn’t break in. The gate was open. I kind of walked right in.”

He nodded. “I see. All you had to do was announce yourself.”

“I did, several times. I mean, I buzzed that contraption. Aren’t you listening?”

“I told you, I was occupied outside. The pool shed doesn’t have an intercom. But I’ll certainly have to remedy that.”

“I figured you were just giving me the big brush-off. You don’t want to be my friend anymore for some reason.”

She’d probably figured right. Why was he so scared of this? Maybe because he couldn’t stomach the thought of having her near, then losing her altogether? Which he was sure would happen.

He stared over at her, thinking that at least she had the guts to be honest with him. That was refreshing.

“What do you want?” he said, his tone brusque enough to hide his curiosity. She looked unsure and worried, and that was his undoing. “Kate, just tell me. If you really need something—”

“I need a favor,” she repeated, her voice low. “Can we just talk for a few minutes?”

He nodded, turned toward the back of the house, then held out a hand to let her pass. “C’mon, I’ll get us something to drink.”

“That sounds good,” she said, her sneakers squeaking on the hardwood floors. “Wow, this house is incredible.”

Parker whistled to the dogs to follow, then watched her face, seeing his home through her eyes for the first time. He’d often wondered what Kate would think of his house. Would she like it? Or would she think he was being pretentious and overblown? How could he explain to her that it had been important to make this old house shine again? That he did believe in tradition and family, in spite of not having those things himself? This place had been broken and abandoned, crippled much in the same way he felt at times.

Healing this house had helped heal him. A little bit at least.

She turned as they reached his office, bending down to pet the dogs. “What are their names?”

“Patch and Daisy. They’ve been with me since I came back.”

“Watchdogs?”

He nodded. “Sort of. And for companionship.” At her raised brow, he added, “They’re loyal and unassuming. They don’t expect much from me. And they rarely talk back when I’m musing out loud.”

She mumbled sweet nothings to the two animals, winning them over completely, then watched as they moved past her to the open doors out onto the terrace. Spinning back around toward Parker, she said, “Is this where you work?”

“This is it,” he said, suddenly feeling as unsure as she seemed. So he just stood there with one hand resting on his cane, watching as she moved around the big room. He enjoyed the way her eyes grew wide with each new discovery, the way she smiled as she touched an artifact or read over some of his framed original comic strips.

Then she lifted her chin, listening to the soft music playing through carefully hidden speakers. “You always did like Mozart.”

He was surprised but pleased that she remembered. “Helps me to relax.”

She turned at his desk and the sight of her centered there amongst his most intimate possessions did something crazy to his heart. All of his circuits were going into overload. Telling himself he just wasn’t used to company or such interesting distractions, he took his time enjoying this surprise visit. Then he remembered his manners. “I’ll go get that drink? Water or coffee?”

“Water sounds good.”

“Be right back.”

“Can I come?” she asked. “I mean, I’d love to see your kitchen.” Then she giggled. “I guess I’d love to see the entire house.”

He nodded, his heart twisting with a painful kind of joy. Kate was here in his house and he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

In the end, she put him at ease in that Kate way he remembered. She laughed and chatted and commented on his expensive cooking pots and gourmet kitchen.

“I can’t cook,” she explained with a shrug. “Thank goodness for the microwave.”

Parker didn’t tell her that he enjoyed cooking and was pretty good at it. Maybe one night he’d have Brandon and her over for a good meal. Maybe. He’d been considered a nerd in college, so he didn’t want to come off as one now.

He handed her the mineral water in a crystal goblet with a twist of lime. “Here you go.”

“Wow, fancy.”

He lowered his head, mentally kicking himself for showing off. But then, he had crystal goblets now. Might as well use them for company. Of course, he was also blowing any chance he had of seeming macho, either.

“I think you’re the first,” he said to cover his discomfort.

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“My first official guest.”

“You’re kidding, right? How long have you lived here?”

“A few years.”

“And you haven’t had any guests?”

“My sister and her family come for visits now and then, but no one from…the old days.”

“Probably good right now,” she said, sipping her water.

“You mean with all that’s going on?” He shrugged.

“I do get the local paper.”

“Yes.” Her expression shifted from quizzical to wary.

“It’s just horrible—Trevor finding that body, then we find out it’s Josie Skerritt. That, and all of this point-shaving business with Professor Rutherford and the basketball team. Then Cassie’s brother, Scott, being found dead because he was investigating it—well, it’s really put a damper on things around the college campus.”

Parker remembered reading about the point-shaving scandal at the college. Apparently Cassie’s brother, Scott, a local reporter, had stumbled across a point-shaving scheme involving the basketball team years ago, one that had caused Scott to have an accident when he was playing. It had ruined his hopes for an NBA career. Scott’s sister, Cassie, and a professor named Jameson King had broken the case but hadn’t solved Scott’s murder.

Did he see a question looming in her pretty eyes? Did she remember that he and Josie had been close once? “Have they gotten any new leads yet?”

“Not that I know of,” she said, her finger tracing the delicate design of the goblet. “I guess you’ve heard about as much as me. They’re worried now about the baby, since they haven’t found anything to indicate the baby died with her. We’re trying to find our own answers. That’s why we’re trying to track down everyone. Steff and Dee are cooperating with the police on the PR. There’s an alumni Web site set up to track our class—”

“Is that why you’re here?” Parker asked, his insides going cold. “Did one of your friends or the police send you to get information?”

“No,” she said, shock registering on her face. “Parker, honestly, I was just trying to catch you up on things.” Slamming her glass down, she said, “And no, that’s not why I’m here. But this is silly, so never mind, just never mind, okay?”

She turned to leave, but he caught her arm with one hand. “Kate, hold on.” He put down his lukewarm coffee then turned toward the hallway. “Let’s go sit by the pool and you can tell me the real reason you’re here.”

She followed him in silence, but Parker had to wonder if she’d come here on some sort of fishing expedition. Did she think he might know something about that body? Was that the favor she needed—to get information out of him for the police or her sorority sisters? But then, the police had questioned him just as they’d questioned everyone, and they knew where to find him.

He waited as she sank onto a white wrought-iron chair, then he sat down across from her, propping his feet on a matching table. Trying not to wince as pain hit his leg again, he said, “Okay—I’m done with the niceties, and I’m sorry if I seemed rude. What kind of favor do you need?”

He hated the hurt expression on her face. At first, she just looked at him as if she hoped to figure him out. Then she said, “I guess I shouldn’t have come here. I should have taken the hint when you didn’t call me back. It’s obvious you don’t want to be bothered.” She stood up. “I’d better just go.”

Parker stood, too. “No, sit down, please. I said I’m sorry if I was rude earlier, but I have some pretty obsessive fans and you have to admit you went to extreme measures to get to me. But you’re here now, so talk.”

She looked embarrassed. “I was desperate.”

He rubbed a hand down his chin. “Oh, that sure makes me feel better.”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way,” she replied, her blush becoming. “I—It’s for Brandon.”

Parker gently pushed her back into her chair, his entire stance changing. “What do you need?”

Her expression changed, too, at that simple statement. “You like children, don’t you? I mean, you must since you write comic books geared toward children. And your characters are so vivid, so…inspiring. The lessons in your stories are universal and simple, but good examples.”

He did like children, but more importantly, he liked Kate, and now that he knew this favor involved Brandon, he really wanted to help her son. And he appreciated that she got his story methods, that she’d even read his stuff. But he wasn’t used to people reaching out to him unless they needed something from him. And apparently, Kate needed something pretty badly.

So, to hide his own treacherous feelings, he turned abrupt again. “Get to the point, Kate.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Please?”

She sighed, then crossed her legs. “Brandon’s birthday is in a few weeks and we’ve been trying to plan something fun and different. You see, his daddy stayed in Nashville and well, Dexter isn’t the most dependable man in the world. He’s already called to tell me he won’t be able to come the weekend of the party. Brandon was so disappointed.”

Parker sat still, his fingers templed together over his lap as he thought about what it was like, not having a father around. He certainly knew that feeling. He also knew all about disappointment. Disappointment and disgrace sliced through him each time he reached for a cane. “What can I do?”

She looked at him then, really looked at him, her eyes so full of thankfulness and gratitude, Parker almost hated the light shining in them. He’d never want to disappoint Kate.

But her next request was going to make him have to do that very thing. Even as he listened to her soft plea, Parker knew he’d never have the courage to help her. He was still so afraid of letting her down, of being that disgrace he’d always known he was.

“What do you want?” he asked again, his voice low.

“Well, Brandon wants to have his party here in your yard, but I know that’s out of the question. So I was just wondering if you could at least make an appearance at the party instead. It would mean so much to Brandon. He has all your comic books and most of your toy characters, too. But to have you there at his party, well, I don’t think anyone could top that. Would you be able to come for just a little while maybe?”

Parker sat there with the sun shining down on his face, with the woman he so often thought about sitting across from him asking him this one simple request, and felt his world shifting. He didn’t want to turn her down, but he had to. He wasn’t ready for that kind of exposure, that kind of public scrutiny.

So he looked directly into her eyes and decided it would be better to hurt her now than to wait for her to hurt him later. “I’m afraid I can’t help you, Kate. I’m sorry, but the answer is no.”