“He’ll be here tomorrow. Come back at three.”
I planned to.
Chapter Twenty
I made my way back to the hotel knowing I wasn’t the only one in Dallas seeking our past. I looked for Donnie around every corner, at each bend in the road. If I did see him, I wouldn’t recognize him. I still couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed.
Why did he think the gold belonged only to him? Why wouldn’t he come to Grandpa’s funeral?
As I walked into the lobby, my shoes struck the tile floor, a hollow, unnerving sound. Adams wasn’t at his post, which left me to make my own dinner reservations. After the arrangements were made, I ordered a ginger ale and slipped into a booth near the edge of the pond. Mesmerized by the butterfly fin Koi’s circular passes and the water as it splashed over the lava rocks, I mentally reviewed what had happened in the last few months–the reconnection with my family, the search for the gold, Donnie’s strange behavior and, finally, Gary. He was never far from my thoughts but I pushed him back into the little corner in my brain where I kept my deepest memories and heartbreak. Thoughts I’d never be able to share with anyone and a gnawing secret that was beginning to eat a hole in my facade. Eventually, I was going to have to deal with it but I pushed the thought back down and tired to ignore it. I would pull my brief romance with Gary out and examine it one day when the hurt wasn’t so fresh.
It was the middle of the afternoon and one lone customer, a man, sat on one of the stools. Something about him was oddly familiar. When I recognized him as the private eye who had argued with Mel at Neiman Marcus, I turned in my booth so he couldn’t see me. I slid around toward the inside of the burgundy, leather oval to see if anyone joined him.
Was it just a coincidence or did Donnie know I was here?
If he showed up, he’d be between me and the door.
Half an hour later the man handed the cashier a ten-dollar bill and left. I waited another few minutes, and then approached the bar. “Is he staying at the hotel?”
“No, Miss. I don’t think so. At least he paid cash, didn’t put it on his tab.” As he continued to polish the glasses, he gazed in my direction. “Were you looking for him?”
“I just thought he looked familiar. Thanks.” Again, I entered the lobby. My steps quickened as I made my way to the elevator. Only when I reached my room and had the doors tightly locked behind me did I breathe a sigh of relief, sure Donnie’s accomplice never saw me.
After my encounter, I decided to stay out of the gym and spa. I spent the rest of the day on the Internet and made phone calls to Cleburne. I’d gotten lucky. I found the county records office had all the land deeds pertaining to the Barnes family settling in Texas. They would be waiting for me when we arrived on Friday. At least no one had mentioned anyone else who’d made inquires. Maybe Donnie just wanted me to pave the way and make it easier for him. He had the key to the chest, though. If he arrived before we did, then he’d find the answers first. I still felt he had no clue where to look.
Around four my stomach reminded me I had dinner reservations. I showered and dressed in a casual pantsuit, brushed my long hair into a quick bun and fastened it with a clip. With a hint of blush and a touch of lip gloss, I considered myself presentable.
I entered the restaurant and looked around the crowded room to see if anyone appeared suspicious. I asked for a table in the back so I wasn’t sitting in the open, alone. I began to relax. Seated by himself, a dark figure on the other side of the room watched me. He was too old to be Donnie. I didn’t feel any danger, but he continued his penetrating stare. In quick, hidden glances, I tried to memorize his features.
I returned to my room for the rest of the evening. I didn’t intend to do any rambling by myself; I’d save that for Mel’s arrival. She’d be there by ten and Lord knows there’s safety in numbers. I pulled on my sweats and ordered a movie when what sounded like a fist made a loud thump against the door. The noise jolted me up off the couch and I bolted toward the foyer to latch the chain. As I reached the entrance, a note shot through the threshold.
I bent down and retrieved the envelope. My hands shook as I pried open the seal and unfolded the paper. A crudely printed note, written on hotel stationery read,
You don’t take no for an answer, do you, Addie? I know why you’re here. Go home before you get hurt
.
Chapter Twenty-One
I didn’t enjoy the movie I’d rented. I’d seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, my favorite, at least twenty times. I couldn’t get interested and sleep became a stranger.
I finally drifted off around two and dreamt of Donnie, the old chief and a buffalo, who instead of turning into a lovely maiden, turned into one of Donnie’s henchmen. At six, the phone rang and any hope of sleep vanished.
Mel bubbled cheerfully into the phone, “Morning!”
“You can’t be here already.” I sat up on the couch and looked at the television screen where a shapely blond performed stomach crunches during an infomercial. “It’s too early.”
“I’m just getting ready to catch the red-eye. I thought you’d be up and preparing to tackle the day looking for records or something.”
“I’m going to wait for you. I had a bad night which I’ll explain when you get here.” I wiped my eyes, trying to finish waking up. “Are you still taking the shuttle?”
“Yeah, what happened?”
“A lot. Donnie’s here somewhere. Or he’s been here. But I do want to go back to the library. Do you think your flight will be on schedule?”
“As on schedule as they get. I gotta go; we’re boarding.”
I called room service and ordered breakfast. When I thought the library would be open, I’d call and see when the chief would be talking to the children. Until then I couldn’t do much but stay put.
I clicked on the morning news to check the forecast. It could still be pretty hot in early September or there could be thunderstorms. I didn’t want either.
The entire state of Texas was displayed behind the forecaster. As he pointed near where I thought Barnesville should be, a smiling sun predicted good weather. The concept of forecasting the weather fascinated me. I compared it to my own analytical findings. At least I had something concrete to look at, not swirling masses of clouds and wind currents.
I walked over to the desk and picked up a piece of hotel stationery. I needed to make a timeline, one that mapped out the family. We did this often at Docurestore when we tried to pinpoint the date of a document.
I would start in 1969, the year of Donnie’s birth. Then my birth year, 1976. The first time I remember seeing him was the summer every relative arrived at Mom and Dad’s in 1984. They came in two to three week intervals all summer until Mom had seen all her brothers, their kids, and the last of her uncles, who were living. It turned into a weird summer, like everyone knew this was it, one final time.
It turned out to be the last time some of them saw each other. I was eight which meant Mel was seven and Susan must have been about three. Mel and I played dress up and dolls and who knows what until the wee hours of the morning.
Donnie would have been fifteen the one and only time I ever saw him. His folks died within the next two years and he just disappeared from our lives. What had happened that summer? Why did everyone come to visit my folks and all separately? Was that around the time Uncle Clay and Uncle Joseph went to look for the gold? Grandpa didn’t join us that summer. Why not, if everyone else did?
I needed to find the article in the Alvarado paper about my uncles looking for the gold. That would certainly help my timeline. I’d use the date anyway. Something happened in 1984, over twenty years ago. Something that made Donnie think we had no right to the gold.
The morning went quickly. After breakfast, I showered and dressed. When I called the library, I disappointedly learned the old chief was ill and wouldn’t be talking to the children. They couldn’t tell me how to get in touch with him. At nine, the phone rang. I glanced at the clock, too early for Mel. I was almost afraid to answer.
“There’s a gentleman waiting for you in the lobby.” Adams said in his usual, dry manner.
“Who? Could you please get his name?” Neither Donnie nor his men were brave enough to face me; certainly they were just trying to scare us off. They were successful at making me nervous, but I was a long way from cashing in on this.
“Just a minute, Ms. Brown, I’ll ask.” Adams’ dry silence hung in the air like a dark cloud. “His name is Gary Wright.”
Gary.
Is he with Donnie and those two other thugs?
I wanted to forget him. Now he shows up here, too. “Let me speak to him, please.” I waited while he came to the phone. “Gary, didn’t I make myself clear enough last weekend? I don’t want to see you. You have a lot of nerve coming here.”
“You won’t even listen to my side of the story, Addie. Just let me try to explain.”
“I know your side of the story and just the fact you know Donnie is all I need to know.”
“I brought something for you. I want to say I’m sorry. Anything to make this better.” He sounded sincere.
I wanted to believe him but Addie Brown thought with her head, not her heart. I wasn’t going to listen. “Whatever it is, just leave it at the desk. Clay will be here soon,” I lied hoping another male figure would give him second thoughts.
“Addie…” His voice trailed off as I hung up.
Within fifteen minutes, two-dozen yellow roses graced the coffee table in the sitting area. I sat on the couch and steamed. Why did that man make me so mad? It wasn’t that long ago he’d made me happier than I’d ever thought imaginable. He’d shaken up what I believed in and who I thought I was. That’s what Gary Wright had done to me; he’d tipped the scale on the delicate balance I’d achieved. I just couldn’t put my finger on what kind of insanity I dealt with. There I stood again, with a smoking gun.
Had I been too quick to judge him?
At that moment I felt justified, even triumphant and guilty.
Mel’s flight came in on time and when she arrived at our suite, I met her at the door. It must have been obvious I’d spent the last hour fuming.
“What’s wrong?” She dumped all her luggage in the entry and put her hand on my shoulder.
“Everything.” I told her about Donnie being at the library, the private eye here at the hotel, the man at dinner and, finally, Gary’s early morning arrival.
“Get a hold of yourself, girl. You knew this wasn’t going to be easy. We’ve known all along Donnie was going to try to beat us to the gold.”
“I know. But adding Gary to the equation really upsets me. Look at the flowers, Mel; they’re taking up half the coffee table.” I pointed to the large bouquet.
“Is there a card?” She made her way to the arrangement to look for one.
“Here.” I’d held it in my hand for almost an hour, afraid to open it. Was he going to tell me of his undying love? Tell me he couldn’t live without me? Probably not.
“Please believe me. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,” she read. Mel looked at me with one eyebrow raised the way she always did when she had an exasperating question. “Do you?”
“I don’t know. I want to. But why is he involved with Donnie?” I didn’t want to know why. I tried to tell myself I didn’t care.
But was he?
“Are you sure he is? What’s this Bible verse he’s referring to?” Mel’s entire face questioned what went through my head.
“It was read at Grandpa’s funeral. Didn’t you pick up on it?” I knew Mel’s parents, like mine, had taken her to church as a child but both of us had fallen away and forgotten. “Gary says the passage is the true meaning of life.” I spat back at her, “You thought I was going too fast. You were the one who grilled me about him in the first place. Remember?”
“Addie, don’t be upset with me. I was just trying to protect you. You know nothing about this guy but phone calls and flowers. You’ve only seen him twice.”
“You can learn a lot about someone from the way he talks, what he talks about.” Why did I find it necessary to defend Gary? “I’m sorry, Mel. The last thing I want to do is argue with you. What happened after I left Susan’s wedding?”
“Gary came in and said you were gone. He called a cab to take him to the airport. He looked confused and we didn’t offer him any answers. I’m sure he felt pretty out of place with all of us glowering at him while he made his phone call. No doubt you embarrassed the life out of him. He waited on the porch after that. I would have, too. He didn’t even take the opportunity to explain. Gosh, Addie, you kick em’ when they’re down, don’t you?”
I didn’t want to talk about Gary anymore. I certainly didn’t want to fight with Mel. Now it seemed like she sided with him. Maybe I was being unfair. I might have been wrong, but I tended to lead with my head, not my heart. That could have been a poor choice. I needed to put thoughts of Gary Wright aside until we’d finished what we came here for. I realized I cared about him or I wouldn’t have defended him. I also realized I didn’t have a clue who he really was. I thought about the passage from Ecclesiastes.
A time and a season for everything.
Was this my time? Was Gary the one I was destined to be with? Or was it my time to lose, my time to cast away?
“How did this get so messed up? I wanted us all to come together as a family. Track the family history. Find out where we came from. Now Donnie’s after us for some unknown reason. And this Gary thing is driving me nuts.” I suddenly remembered the timeline. “Mel. You remember the summer you visited us?”