suspect—and vindicate myself. Vindicate myself in the eyes of my family and former friends. Vindicate myself in the national media as well.”
He paused, gaze turned inward. “And,” he added, “I wanted a confrontation with her. Wanted to wring out of her the reason she disappeared and left me to face a possible murder charge. Wanted to make sure she knew what a despicable human being I think she is.”
Despicable?
Carly turned the word over in her mind. From his point of view, she supposed it was appropriate. But from hers,
damaged
was the better choice.
“If it’s any consolation,” she said, “she abandoned her car and purse hoping you’d think she’d been killed and not look for her. She had no idea you’d be suspected—or that you had been, until long after you’d left Saugatuck. When she found out, she tried to call you, but you’d vanished as completely as she had.”
“She could’ve set the record straight with the authorities.”
“Maybe, but by then the case had received major publicity. She was afraid of more.”
“Why?”
“…She had her reasons.”
“And again, they’re none of my business.”
Carly was silent, thinking bitterly of those reasons. Had she cut Ard entirely too much slack all these years? Probably. But wasn’t that what you did when you loved someone?
Lindstrom said, “Well, never mind. That’s long past, and what’s happened today changes the situation. I’ve got my photographs, and if I can get a statement from you—”
“You’re not thinking of leaving?”
“Of course I am. There’s nothing to hold me here.”
“Oh, yeah? You can’t just walk away from this mess. After all, you admitted she probably took off because of your sneaking around here.”
“So what am I supposed to do about that?”
“Help me find her. You and I are in this thing together, Lindstrom, and together we are going to see it through.”
Once Lindstrom’s astonishment at her pronouncement had faded, he smiled mockingly. “Ready to take her back again, are you?”
She glared at him.
“My advice is to embrace her philosophy: Cut your losses and run.”
“You forget, there’s another factor in the equation: Natalie. She’s a delicate child, has asthma. If Ard’s become unbalanced, she may neglect Nat’s health. I need to find them, bring them home, or at least to someplace safe. Afterwards I’ll decide about the relationship.”
“And you think I can help you find her?”
“Maybe. You could have some knowledge about her that I don’t. Something that will suggest what she might’ve done.”
But do I really believe that, or do I just want him here so I won’t feel alone?
He smiled, gently this time, as if he intuited her thoughts. “Okay, I’ll stay and try to help you—for a while. Where do we start?”
“Well, the major problem in Ard’s life recently—except for you showing up—is the trouble she’s having with the book. I think we should both go over the manuscript and her notes.”
He looked at his watch. “How long will that take?”
“Hours, probably.”
“Then I’d better make a phone call.”
Carly showed him to the cordless unit in the kitchen, listened as she ground beans and brewed a pot of coffee.
“Hi it’s—Yeah, I should’ve called. Don’t be upset. Something—No, not some
one
. I spent last night in Santa Carla—What d’you mean, the duct tape’s not holding? It’s a miracle fix…Well, just slap some more on, then. I’ll buy the joint I need on the way home tomorrow…No, I’m working on a major assignment and likely to be out all night…Assignment, not
ass
ignment! I’ll see you in the morning, and don’t forget about that tape.”
As he replaced the receiver, Carly folded her arms and regarded him with mock severity. “You don’t waste any time when you hit a new town, Lindstrom.”
“That was my landlady. I fix things in exchange for cheap rent.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, it
was.
”
“And just
He paused, gaze turned inward. “And,” he added, “I wanted a confrontation with her. Wanted to wring out of her the reason she disappeared and left me to face a possible murder charge. Wanted to make sure she knew what a despicable human being I think she is.”
Despicable?
Carly turned the word over in her mind. From his point of view, she supposed it was appropriate. But from hers,
damaged
was the better choice.
“If it’s any consolation,” she said, “she abandoned her car and purse hoping you’d think she’d been killed and not look for her. She had no idea you’d be suspected—or that you had been, until long after you’d left Saugatuck. When she found out, she tried to call you, but you’d vanished as completely as she had.”
“She could’ve set the record straight with the authorities.”
“Maybe, but by then the case had received major publicity. She was afraid of more.”
“Why?”
“…She had her reasons.”
“And again, they’re none of my business.”
Carly was silent, thinking bitterly of those reasons. Had she cut Ard entirely too much slack all these years? Probably. But wasn’t that what you did when you loved someone?
Lindstrom said, “Well, never mind. That’s long past, and what’s happened today changes the situation. I’ve got my photographs, and if I can get a statement from you—”
“You’re not thinking of leaving?”
“Of course I am. There’s nothing to hold me here.”
“Oh, yeah? You can’t just walk away from this mess. After all, you admitted she probably took off because of your sneaking around here.”
“So what am I supposed to do about that?”
“Help me find her. You and I are in this thing together, Lindstrom, and together we are going to see it through.”
Once Lindstrom’s astonishment at her pronouncement had faded, he smiled mockingly. “Ready to take her back again, are you?”
She glared at him.
“My advice is to embrace her philosophy: Cut your losses and run.”
“You forget, there’s another factor in the equation: Natalie. She’s a delicate child, has asthma. If Ard’s become unbalanced, she may neglect Nat’s health. I need to find them, bring them home, or at least to someplace safe. Afterwards I’ll decide about the relationship.”
“And you think I can help you find her?”
“Maybe. You could have some knowledge about her that I don’t. Something that will suggest what she might’ve done.”
But do I really believe that, or do I just want him here so I won’t feel alone?
He smiled, gently this time, as if he intuited her thoughts. “Okay, I’ll stay and try to help you—for a while. Where do we start?”
“Well, the major problem in Ard’s life recently—except for you showing up—is the trouble she’s having with the book. I think we should both go over the manuscript and her notes.”
He looked at his watch. “How long will that take?”
“Hours, probably.”
“Then I’d better make a phone call.”
Carly showed him to the cordless unit in the kitchen, listened as she ground beans and brewed a pot of coffee.
“Hi it’s—Yeah, I should’ve called. Don’t be upset. Something—No, not some
one
. I spent last night in Santa Carla—What d’you mean, the duct tape’s not holding? It’s a miracle fix…Well, just slap some more on, then. I’ll buy the joint I need on the way home tomorrow…No, I’m working on a major assignment and likely to be out all night…Assignment, not
ass
ignment! I’ll see you in the morning, and don’t forget about that tape.”
As he replaced the receiver, Carly folded her arms and regarded him with mock severity. “You don’t waste any time when you hit a new town, Lindstrom.”
“That was my landlady. I fix things in exchange for cheap rent.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, it
was.
”
“And just
Similar Books
