Guarding the Truth Read online

  “You’re sure?” Parker hesitated. Her life was now at stake also. He didn’t want any mistakes.

  “I wouldn’t allow it if I thought there was any doubt. Trust me.” She was clearly confident enough.

  Madeline piped in, “You mean we can use this to talk to someone? Like a phone?”

  Granted, that was more than Parker had hoped for also. He’d only hoped to send an email or two.

  “Of course. Take as long as you need. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” With that, Christine left the room without making a sound and shut the door softly behind her, leaving Parker to stare at Madeline in disbelief before plopping into the desk chair and dialing Mark Reynolds.

  Parker held his breath while they listened to the speaker phone as the line connected. Mark did not disappoint.

  “Reynolds here. This better be good, Phillips.” The shit-eating grin he knew spread across his face told the tale of two men who knew each other well. “Is this line secure?” His long-time buddy was so sure of his caller that he hadn’t verified the validity of his conviction.

  “Yes, Christine set us up. We’re on speaker.”

  “Shit, man. Why didn’t you say so,” he barked. “How is she anyway?”

  “Fine. Listen, I don’t want to take any chances, so let’s make this brief. Did you pick Jones up in Lincoln?”

  Reynolds sighed audibly. “I wish I had better news for you, but we have no idea where he made off to. I’m really sorry.”

  “Shit.”

  “But we do know how he found Ms. Cooper.”

  “What? How?” Madeline chimed in.

  “It seems he broke into your father’s house and rummaged around until he found the information he was looking for.”

  Madeline gasped and made a brief scream, covering her mouth at the involuntary response.

  “Fortunately your father was not home at the time. He set the scene up to look like your average vandalism, but nothing was missing. I’m terribly sorry Madeline…Ms. Cooper. This is entirely my fault. I never should’ve informed your father where you were. It was too easy for Jones. Under the rather unusual circumstances, I hated for the man to have to send his only child away and have no knowledge of her whereabouts. It was poor judgment on my part.”

  There was a pause while all three of them digested this new information.

  Parker continued, “Well, we’re safe now. No one will find us where we’re going—” wherever that is, “—and we’ll remain there until you catch this guy, no matter what. You know how to find us.” He spoke the words more as a promise to Madeline than a method of conveying information to Mark.

  “You got it.”

  “Please…” Madeline jumped in, “…please let my father know…”

  “Of course. Consider it done.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Madeline slept like the dead again. She’d climbed under the covers of the small guest bed and drifted off so soundly that she was barely aware of Parker joining her, perhaps several hours later, to lie on top of the quilt and hold her.

  In the early morning hours, they were once again on the run.

  Madeline suspected there was a lot more to the relationship Parker had once shared with Christine, but nevertheless she could not begrudge the woman his friendship, as kind as she’d treated them during the brief visit.

  She’d even emptied her refrigerator of milk, juice, eggs and several other items of produce to avoid slowing them down by making a trip into town to shop on their behalf. Parker tried to at least give her some money, but clearly he knew she would’ve been insulted if he forced the issue.

  Once again they were driving through the breaking dawn to a new secured location conjured up by Parker and his one-time partner while Madeline watched the world go by out the window.

  She didn’t feel the need to press him on the details. What did it really matter?

  They resumed their comfortable silence while Parker navigated narrow winding roads through the mountainous terrain surrounding Christine’s home. He spent the next two hours in careful concentration, following directions he had only in his head.

  At last, Parker pulled the car to a stop. The sun was making a full appearance and Madeline was glad to exit the stifling hot car. Apparently they’d not paid close attention to the disclosure about the broken air-conditioning. Although the season was winding down and it was late September, today was much hotter than yesterday. Her shirt was stuck to her back from sweating, and tendrils of her hair were glued to her neck and forehead.

  The sight before Madeline’s eyes was breathtaking. “Where are we?”

  “Rural Arizona, safely sequestered in the nice desert mountains. No one’s going to find us here.” He pulled her into his embrace, and his lips grazed the top of her head, inciting a deep feeling of peace…and lust. Her heart wanted him to kiss her, deepen the embrace. She ached to have his hands running over her body as he had two days ago. Her mind told her to use caution.

  Madeline was surrounded by rough mountainous terrain. The scene looked like a postcard from a hiking vacation. She could picture a snapshot of people in hiking boots, wide-brim hats on their heads, canteens strapped to their waists, and tall walking sticks fashioned out of any branch they happened upon on the ground. Although, on second thought, she doubted many people had stood in this precise location. She’d never seen such a sight in all her life. So…secluded.

  “Wow,” she uttered as she pulled away from Parker to take it all in. “Are we on the run from a madman, or is this a luxurious vacation retreat?” She didn’t wait for an answer. It was rhetorical anyway. Instead she wandered away to explore some more of the flora and take in the various vantage points.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Don’t wander off too far. You could easily get lost in this area and never be found. Besides the fact that I like you close to me. That’s the best view of all.” He mumbled this last part to himself, with no idea she could still hear him.

  The area was so peaceful and quiet she could have heard a pin drop or a tree fall in the distance. The only noises were the occasional scampering of small animals and the tiniest chirping of distant birds. Whatever they were, they skittered off with the unwelcome arrival of the uninvited guests to their natural habitat.

  “Where are we going to sleep?” Madeline could not readily see any evidence of a dwelling of any sort and began to fear that camping was in store for them. Although, she noted, she hadn’t seen any equipment being loaded into the Jeep.

  Now she understood why Parker had selected the all-wheel-drive vehicle yesterday. It had seemed an unusual choice at the time, but she hadn’t questioned it because, after all, they were trying to be as nondescript as possible, and this jalopy certainly did the trick. She was relieved it ran well and seemed to have been well taken care of under the hood, if not externally.

  Parker laughed at her from behind the trunk.

  “For all the spinning around you’re doing, gazing about with those big, gorgeous, blue eyes of yours, you’re sure not very observant.” He pointed toward a break in the trees. “Home sweet home, for as long as we need her.”

  There, barely visible to the naked eye, nestled a small cabin clearly created by its owner with the utmost of privacy in mind. Hikers could march through the area all day and never see it, it was so well adapted to its environment.

  “Amazing…” Madeline carefully navigated her way toward the little bungalow that would harbor her for who knew how long?

  No one had been there in quite some time, as evidenced by the growth of plants and saplings surrounding the entrance. She gently pulled back the branches to reach the entrance, not wanting to disturb the fauna. I’m the intruder here, after all.

  The door was stuck tight, but Parker was on her heels, noticeably duplicating her path, and he shoved the door open to reveal a dusty, dank interior. It was so dark inside that it took a moment to adjust her vision well enough to make out her surroundings as she stepped into the little struc
ture.

  “Do you think it’s safe?” she questioned, looking to Parker for confirmation.

  “Who’s going to find us here?” He misunderstood her meaning.

  “No, I mean, do you think it will hold up? Not collapse?”

  Parker laughed again, heartier than he had by the car. The sound resonated through the wood floor, and she could feel the vibration. If she hadn’t know better, she would’ve thought he was mocking her.

  “It’s perfect. Just what we need. A few hours of dusting and shaking things out and she’ll be good as new. Don’t worry. You’re safe and sound.” If his confidence was to be used as the compass by which all else was measured on this journey, she had nothing to fear.

  “Well then, I guess we better get to work.” Madeline spun around, deciding what to do first, hands on her hips, thoroughly converted to business mode.

  * * *

  Parker was amazed at Madeline’s perseverance. He wasn’t sure if she always tackled a task with this amount of gusto, or if she was trying to avoid thinking about the killer looming out there in the distance.

  With utmost haste, the cabin windows had been pried opened and the curtains over the three tiny paned windows removed to air out the place and eliminate some of the mustiness. He watched Madeline do every sort of manual labor required of the task as if it were her daily routine. She didn’t seem remotely out of her element, either with nature or with the homemaking duties.

  “How do you know so much about cleaning? Surely you haven’t done a lot of housework in your life.” Parker chuckled, hoping she would not take offense at his statement.

  Madeline paused and looked him in the eye. “The honest truth is quite sad. Our maid when I was growing up, Gloria, was, well…one of my only friends to be honest. She was young and funny, and I spent a lot of time watching her clean, learning from her. She never let me lift a finger—Father would’ve abhorred such behavior from his offspring—but I still studied her every move when I was very small.

  “Believe it or not, when I was three or four years old, if you would’ve asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would’ve said a housekeeper, much to my father’s dismay. Gloria was so happy. I wanted to be…I guess…as joyful about life as she was.” A tear trickled down Madeline’s face as she finished the private little tale about her childhood.

  Parker ached to reach out to her, but knew now was not the time. They had work to do, and she needed space to reconcile her feelings toward him.

  By noon, the place had undergone a complete transformation, and Parker considered their efforts to have been quite industrious. The floors had been swept. The surfaces of the counter and table dusted and scrubbed. They’d even dragged the mattress for the cabin’s one double-sized bed outside to beat the settled dust out of it as best they could.

  Thank God Christine had sent all sorts of items to make their stay more comfortable, ranging from sheets to a box of cleaning supplies.

  Once the inside of the cabin was sufficiently revealed, it was quite relaxing, comforting perhaps. They stood in the center surveying their accomplishments. It was small, by any stretch of the imagination, one room with a miniscule bathroom tucked off in one corner, barely large enough to turn around in.

  Luckily whoever built the place had the foresight to dig a well nearby, providing the cabin with at least water. No other amenities, like electricity or gas were available, but water was an essential commodity in Parker’s opinion.

  The wall that contained the door to the cabin on one side was completely taken up by a large fireplace. Large only in comparison to the size of the dwelling. To the right of the fireplace sat a wood stove and a counter next to a table and two chairs.

  Across from the kitchen area, if one could call it that, was the bed and a large ancient bureau that appeared out of place, dominating the space with its immense presence. At least they could use it to tuck away all the items they’d purchased from the shocked bubblegum clerk. Parker couldn’t help chuckle at the recollection.

  “What?” Madeline turned to look him in the eye for the first time since they’d begun working.

  “Nothing. I was thinking how funny this all seems, in a twisted kind of way, I suppose.”

  Madeline looked at Parker with a refreshing smile spreading across her face. “I guess so, if you’re really twisted… I’m starving. Shall we pull in the cooler and make some sandwiches?” Madeline headed to the car without waiting for a response.

  Parker could also feel his stomach grumbling beneath his touch and followed her.

  After polishing off several sandwiches, half a bag of potato chips and two large bottles of water, they spent the afternoon putting the place back to rights and unloading the contents of the Jeep.

  Parker was entranced by the ease with which he and Madeline had slipped into the domestic scene, each seeming to complement the other as they worked. Hardly a word was spoken all afternoon, and when they had accomplished all they could, the place was completely transformed.

  Madeline still stepped around the plants and wildflowers growing all around the entrance, as if it would not be prudent to disrupt their habitat, but Parker had grown accustomed to watching her delicately navigate the area with amusement and some level of awe.

  By nightfall, they were exhausted. In contrast to the unseasonably warm daytime temperature, the evening brought much cooler air into the region, and Parker loaded the fireplace up and quickly turned the inside of the cabin into a warm shelter.

  He thought of his years of childhood camping trips with the Boy Scouts and silently thanked his mother for insisting he endure those adventures. “It will make you a better man,” she’d said, and her advice was certainly coming in handy tonight.

  Parker was very aware of Madeline as she lay on one side of the sagging double-mattress trying to keep from rolling into the center and using the last of her energy to hold her eyes open while she watched him work on getting the fire to ignite.

  “Madeline, you’re exhausted. It has been a long day. Get some sleep. I’ll be right there in a minute, as soon as I make sure I’m not setting this up to burn the place down while we sleep.”

  She perked up at this announcement, glaring at him without amusement.

  “Just kidding. Have a little faith.” He tried to smile convincingly at her, not with regard to his abilities as a fire builder, but simply hoping to ensure some confidence in his ability to protect her.

  Her nerves must have been abated somewhat by his expression, or else she was too tired to care, because she promptly leaned her head back and was sleeping like the dead in less than one minute.

  Parker walked over to her after he finished his job and stood for long moments staring down at her peaceful face, relaxed in sleep. Her complexion was slightly pinkened by the day’s hard work, but otherwise flawless. Her skin was so smooth, he wanted to reach out and stroke his hand over it for hours. He would never grow weary of watching this woman sleep.

  Eventually, exhaustion got the best of him, and he carefully lay next to her, hoping not to disturb her slumber.

  Although he tried to stay awake and think about their next step and what the following days would bring to the situation, he found himself too tired to ponder such thoughts. Instead he turned his body toward Madeline to reach out and wrap his arm around her, as if it were the most natural act in the world and one he’d been accustomed to performing for years. She was so warm in sleep and fit against him like a well-worn T-shirt after years of wash.

  * * *

  When Parker awoke, the sun was high in the sky and Madeline was nowhere to be found, at least inside the quiet cabin.

  He stretched his stiff muscles and realized with some dismay he’d slept most of the night on his left side, trapping his arm beneath him. A now useless arm screaming with pins and needles.

  He stood and wandered out the propped-open door to the cabin, shaking his poor offended appendage as he walked. The morning air was serene and glorious, although the day t
hreatened to be a comparably hot one to rival yesterday’s heat.

  Madeline appeared from around the corner of the cabin, her smile so sweet and angelic it took Parker’s breath away.

  “Good morning, sleepy head. Do you feel better?” She looked freshly showered, hair still damp, and very young without a trace of makeup. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a soft, blue, V-neck T-shirt, compliments of the superstore. The clothes fit her perfectly, and he felt his chest pump out when he realized he was not a bad judge of size.

  “Yes, actually, I think I do. I haven’t slept like that in years. Hard work will do that to you. Did you have a shower already? I didn’t hear a sound.”

  “Yes, it’s small and cold, but the water was refreshing anyway.” How could it be that this perfect creature could find the accommodations out here in the middle of nowhere so tolerable? In fact, she was almost jubilant.

  “Christine said there’re some hot springs around here. Perhaps if we go exploring a bit, we might come across them. Could be nicer than a cold shower.” Especially if you get in naked with me.

  Parker was in no way interested in pressuring Madeline, with their relationship hanging from the balance in its currently fragile state. But he could at least hope.

  “That sounds heavenly. I’ve never been to a hot spring before.” That was noncommittal, but what did he expect?

  Parker was no dummy. This relationship had to start over, essentially from scratch, both parties assuming the identity they were born with instead of the made-up personas they were using before they fled.

  “Well, let me shower and grab a bite to eat, and then we can go exploring, sound good?”

  “Perfect.” And she smiled, a look that said, “Let’s forget the past. Today’s a new day.” At least he hoped that was what he read in her eyes…

  The morning went smoothly. The air seeming to have at least cleared between them. Now the challenge would begin. Could she fall in love with Parker, the private agent, or were her feelings reserved for a pretend college student working on post master’s classes? Time would tell.