Double Doublecross (7 page)

Rick knew his own privacy would be invaded, but that didn't matter. He could take it or leave it. Somehow, it might be rather pleasant to have a beautiful woman around. He might even get used to it.

He went down the hallway to the guest suite. It looked fine to him, perhaps a little dusting and sweeping was needed. The bed was already made up with clean sheets.

There was no trace of his previous female encounters. The bedroom seemed to be in shipshape order to him. The décor had a certain feminine flair about it. The wall behind the bed was decorated with pink and white candy stripe wallpaper, with the other three walls having a pink floral design. The carpet was white and the bed linen cream with yet another
floral design. ‘Looks better than
my
quarters,' he thought.

He busied himself with tidying up the kitchen, cleaning the cooking range and making a note of the items that he thought should be in the cupboards and the refrigerator. It was well past midnight when he finally went to bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Sara was awakened by the tormenting jangle of the telephone. She was not an early riser, and the thought of answering the phone at nine o'clock in the morning irritated her. She reached over to the bedside table and picked the annoying cordless instrument up and put it to her ear.

“Hello, who is it?” she said in a lethargic voice as she rolled out of bed.

“It's me, Carl. Who do you think it is? Have you found an apartment yet? I've got something else for you to do. Are you ready? Now pay attention and write this down,” he said bluntly.

“Just a minute. Let me get a pen and something to write on.”

She sauntered into the kitchen, put the coffee on, picked up a pen and pad and sat down at the kitchen table. “Okay, I'm ready. Shoot!” she said.

“Now listen carefully. I want you to go to a luggage store and buy a black Tourister sports bag. It has to be a black Tourister sports bag—nothing else will do. Have you got that?”

“Yes, I've got that,” she said with a big yawn.

“
Now
, repeat what I've just said,” he said curtly.

“I have to buy a black Tourister sports bag,” she repeated.

“That's right. Write it down so you don't forget. Now, have you found an apartment yet? You have to be out of
there within the next few days. Take all of your things and don't leave a trace that would connect us in any way.”

Sara hesitated for a moment. She wondered if she should tell him about Rick's offer. It was better to come clean and tell the truth. He was sure to find out sooner or later.

“There was nothing out there, Carl. I mentioned to Richard Jacobs that I was looking for something on a short term basis, and he offered me the spare master suite in the south wing of his house. Strictly on a friendly basis.”

“It had better be,” said Carl vehemently. “No hanky panky, sweetie. Remember, you're mine—
all mine
. The time's getting close to acquiring our fortune, so don't forget it. I'll talk to you later.”

Sara knew something was going to happen in a big way. Carl wasn't usually edgy like this. She had a shower, cleaned up the apartment, put on her makeup and went down to her car. She drove straight to the mall where she purchased the sports bag Carl had requested.

As she got into her car, her cell phone started ringing. It was Carl again.

“Just one more thing. Put some of my clothes in the bag, and make sure it's bulging. Okay? And take it with you. Don't let it out of your sight. Also, tie a yellow ribbon on the handle. Do it immediately so you don't forget. It's very important. That's it. I'll talk to you later,” he said and rang off before she could say a word to him.

She didn't know what to make of this request. He had plenty of clothes in his Seattle apartment. Maybe he was going on a long trip. ‘Yes, that was it,' she thought. ‘He's going on a long trip.'

She went straight back to the apartment and filled the bag with Carl's clothes. At the same time she filled her
own suitcases, inspected the condominium for any of her possessions, then she tied the pieces of yellow ribbon around each piece of luggage making it easy to identify. Putting the luggage by the front door, she went back for her laptop and did a final inspection, picking up a bar of her scented soap from the soap dish that was in the bathroom.

Looking around the apartment, she was sure there was no trace of her having lived there. She was now ready to leave and decided now was the time to call Rick and let him know she was ready to move in. She was still nervous about the move and the whole situation, especially Carl's attitude and instructions.

On her way out she waved a hand at Bill Janson, gave him a brief smile, and continued on her way to the car. Janson stared after her, wondering where she was going with some of her suitcases stacked on the rear seat of the car. ‘Going away for the holidays,' he mused, 'must be for a long time. She's taking a lot of luggage with her.'

Threading her way through the traffic, she decided to stop off at the local restaurant for breakfast and a cup of coffee. She was certain Rick would be busy at that time of the day. She wanted some time to think about her move and retrace her thoughts on Carl's comments regarding the request for her to move out of the apartment at such short notice. ‘What the hell was he up to,' she wondered.

In the meantime, Rick was talking to Janet Hughes who had called him and said that her husband Tom had forgotten to tell Rick that they had already sold their house. They would be finalizing the deal at the end of January, plus they were already qualified for a loan in order to buy a house in the area. This encouraged Rick, and he decided to double his effort to find them a house to their liking. If he could
find them a place, the commission would help carry Stan and himself through another month.

He began to think about Sara and when it would be most suitable for her to move in. That evening would be fine. Maybe she'll call later, but how could he let her know without giving away the fact he already had her telephone number.

At that very moment, Sara appeared at the office door, smiling. Rick introduced her to Stan and Pat James, then led her to his office and closed the door.

“Rick, I'm ready to move in. I hope I haven't caught you at an awkward time. My suitcases are on the back seat of the car. I can move in now if it's convenient for you.”

“That's okay. Now is fine with me. I'll just tell Stan I'll be out of the office for a while, then we can go over to the house and get you settled in. Have you had lunch yet? It's about that time of day.”

“That's okay, Rick. I've just had a late breakfast so I'm not hungry, but don't let me stop you from grabbing something.”

He pondered for a brief second and then said, “No problem. Food can wait. Come on. Let's go.”

She followed him out of the parking lot through the winding lanes to Rick's house. Sara looked in awe at the low ranch style house with its manicured garden and circular driveway.

She had been brought up in a small house in the suburbs of San Diego and had seen very little of the outside world until she had left to search for employment in Los Angeles. Once there, she had used her looks to find small part-time positions as a model with the occasional opportunity of small parts in commercials.

Sara had met Carl at a smart watering hole in the San
Fernando Valley and was impressed with the way he dressed and tossed money around buying drinks for his associates. He was taken up with Sara's striking appearance, and they were soon dating big time.

Then Carl broke the news he was moving to Northern California and would she like to live with him in his apartment, absolutely free, of course. She immediately agreed. She liked the way he talked about the big future he envisioned for them with plenty of money and travel. This appealed to her, but she was still impatiently waiting for the big day. He was always promising the big time, but she was running out of patience.

They pulled up at Rick's front door and unloaded her bags onto the front porch housing two large shrub containers and a hanging basket of bright red geraniums. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a latchkey, opened the door and carried her bags inside the foyer and put them to one side.

“Heavy bags you've got there. I like the yellow ribbons tied around the handles. Any significance to that?” he inquired.

“It makes it easier to identify them when you pick them up at the airport carousels. I don't have to look at every piece of luggage. When I see the ribbon, then I know it's mine. It makes life a bit easier.”

“That's a very bright idea. I'll have to remember that. Now, let me show you to your rooms. You have a bedroom with a small retreat complete with a television set, a full bathroom and a little kitchen that's fully equipped. I'll give you a spare key so that you can come and go as you please. So, there you have it. What do you think?”

She looked around and felt guilty but relieved to have found a place that would keep Carl off her back for a while.

“It's perfect,” she said. “I don't know how to thank you.
This will be lovely until I find somewhere permanent in the next month or two.”

Secretly, Rick hoped that would never happen. He realized that he was attracted to her, but at the moment he was hesitant to make any approach to her on the subject. He decided he was going to play it cool and wait until a relationship had developed.

“By the way, there's room for your car in the garage, and I'll give you a spare garage door opener. It'll give you total independence, and you won't have to see me at all unless it's by accident,” he said jokingly.

“Oh, I'll come out of hiding occasionally and cook you a dinner or two,” she said with a smile.

‘That
would
be nice,' Rick thought. ‘Perhaps I'll surprise her and prepare dinner for two tomorrow night just to break the ice.'

He carried her suitcases into the bedroom while she brought the Tourister bag bulging with Carl's clothing. Sara still couldn't understand why he wanted a bag full of clothes in her possession. He was very emphatic about that detail, so he must have a good reason for it.

Rick said goodbye after showing her around the house and made his way to the office. He was already late, and Stan would be anxiously waiting for him.

That was no problem. After all, they were partners and he would explain everything to Stan later in the afternoon before they closed for the day. Stan looked up as Rick opened the office door.

“Where have you been? I thought you got lost,” he said quizzically.

Rick was silent for a moment, wondering how Stan would take the news.

“I've arranged for Sara to stay at my place until she finds a place of her own. It's only temporary. I'll see if I can find her a place after the holiday period.”

“I guess you know what you're doing. It's just that you don't know her well, and she seems to be a bit distant at times as if she's not on the same planet, if you know what I mean. Still, it's your decision. Say, why don't you both come over for dinner one night and we can get to know her better. What do you say?”

“That would be nice, Stan. Let me know when and I'll leave that night free.”

“I'll check with my social director. I know
you
will eat anything, but just let us know if there is anything that Sara doesn't like, and Helen will put on one of her gourmet meals,” said Stan.

Rick went to his office and completed some of his outstanding paperwork. Then he checked the office safe. ‘Not that there was anything worth protecting,' he thought. He did a final sweep, turned the lights out and locked the office door. As he made his way to his car, he was thinking about Stan's attitude toward Sara's moving in with him.

As he drove up to the house, he noticed all of the lights were on. He reached up and activated the garage door opener. After he driven into the garage, he got out of his car and entered the house through a door that led to a small passageway adjoining the guest sleeping quarters. Then he walked into the kitchen.

Sara had made herself at home. All the lights were on in the kitchen, family room, study, sitting room and dining room. She was busy in the kitchen preparing a meal.

“Just thought I'd brighten the place up a bit and cook something for dinner. How do you feel about some pasta and
meatballs?” she said over the sound of pots boiling, bubbling and hissing on the stove.

“Nice surprise coming home to a meal already prepared. The place looks bright and cozy. I didn't know I had so many lamps. When you're a bachelor, there are many things that you don't notice,” he said.

This was a change for Rick. It was either eating out or frozen TV dinners. Home-cooked meals were a luxury. He'd always envied Stan with his family, pretty wife and comfortable home life.

The meal was enjoyable to Rick, and he complimented Sara on her culinary competence. He loaded the dishwasher, and they settled down to a quiet evening rarely speaking to one another, allowing the television to take over the entertainment. At eleven o'clock Rick got up and announced he was going to bed.

I'm off to bed,” he said. “You don't have to shut the television off. I can't hear it from my room. Don't forget to turn the lights out.”

“I'm not an early riser, and I don't have any appointments tomorrow. I think I'll have a lazy day. Good night, Rick. See you in the morning,” Sara said quietly.

S
ara started to acquaint herself with the house, moving from room to room including the office and bedroom. ‘Rick's office is a mess,' she thought, sifting through some of his paperwork.

She sat down in his big recliner and reflected on her immediate position. Carl had told her to vacate the apartment quickly under puzzling circumstances, and told her to wait for his call in the next few days.