Necessary Detour (21 page)

She couldn’t stay to watch Travis’s planned distraction. Creeping slowly along the bay’s shoreline, she found herself near the little bridge to the Bayers’ house and advanced through the blackness to hide on the far side of the road. There she crouched by a clump of bushes, nursing her sore wrist.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

“Pete?” she whispered.

“You ready? This’ll help.” Pete fit something on her head that felt like a baseball cap, then pulled goggles over her eyes. She could see in the dark. Trees emerged, along with Pete’s face which was only inches from hers as he adjusted the goggles. He wore them too. Connie and Tony stood behind Pete, also wearing goggles.

Computer programmer, my ass.

Clumps of conversations murmured behind them from the boats. Would the reporters realize anything was different about the house in the morning?

“Follow me, single file,” he whispered, carrying the tote that held Elvis. “Remember silence is key, not speed. No talking.”

“Are we all going?” Nikki couldn’t imagine why Connie and Tony were coming along.

“No talking.” Pete put his finger to her lips. “I mean it, Nikki, be quiet.”

Shouldn’t a young boy like Tony be asleep? Because of the no-talking rule, Nikki saved her questions for later, but, as she walked, they stacked up in her mind like thrown horseshoes on a post.

****

Pete smiled to himself to hear how noisy the reporters were. He had a silent electric boat waiting on the far side of Dickerson’s property.

Once in it, he pushed off the rocks, and Nikki took the driver’s seat and got the thing going. Harold had guaranteed it would be “charged and quiet as a whisper” and it was. The boat would shave twenty minutes off their arrival time to the town’s marina where a deputy had parked Pete’s truck hours earlier. If someone was on to their plan, those twenty minutes could be the difference between escaping and not. Nikki needed to avoid the press for convenience’ sake but his stakes were much higher.

He looked to the end of the lake where the lights of the marina shone brightly then back to the passengers. Tony snuggled in to his mother’s arms. Poor kid was tired. Even if they hadn’t planned it, they’d have left when the press showed up, anyhow. Their safety had been compromised and plan B was now in action. Considering the high-rise apartment Connie and Tony had hidden in before Louisa Lake, the escape was actually plan C. Connie’s fear of heights and claustrophobia had put a quick end to Plan A. When the prosecutor jumped in to suggest his cabin on Louisa, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Then Nikki moved in next door. To Pete, the job sounded easy after a year of doing flights. “Last one before retirement.” They’d said at the Department. “Nothing too big to ruin your perfect record.” No one foresaw trouble. There’d been no threats. Probably just routine. Murdering Connie before she testified would only serve one lowly person in this case, and that man was in jail.

Pete hadn’t gotten approval for going to the sailboat, but his reputation in the Justice Department allowed him more lenience than some marshals and when it came time for forgiveness, he figured he’d get it.

It hadn’t been easy the last month, with Nikki next door. He’d been off his game, and now the press she attracted was just plain annoying. Who’d have known that in the month they were at the log house, Goldy would decide to retire from a twenty-year career and spend autumn at Louisa Lake. When he’d secured the Dickerson’s cabin, his report indicated that she used the house maybe twice a year and never in September.

The second problem was that she was not the reclusive neighbor he’d hoped. She was nosey as hell and couldn’t seem to keep on her own side of the property. She watched them through binoculars, she faked canoeing to spy, she baked as an excuse to come over and she let herself in their house when they weren’t home.

He couldn’t leave her at Louisa Lake alone, with all she knew. Shit, she’d probably guessed what was going on by now. She’d probably even played with all his surveillance equipment that day she broke into the house. Even in a low-risk case, he wasn’t going to take any chances. Especially when inside that rock-star body was the mind of a snoopy old grandma. He needed to keep her close to monitor who she spoke to, just until they called for Connie to testify. Then he’d let Nikki go.

The lights of the marina were visible now and Nikki adjusted their direction to make a straight line to safety. Tonight they’d drive to the sailboat in Shelton. Even though he hadn’t put up the sails yet, it had a motor, it was his, he had a key, and had already spent a few nights on it. He loved that thing. They’d hide out for a week or two and wait for the call. He’d have to think of a way to break the news to Nikki that her life was in his hands until that call.

****

Pete’s blue truck was parked at the back of the marina lot. Connie and Tony jumped into the back seat which confused Nikki more. They were all going off in the truck? Earlier, she hadn’t thought past the immediacy of getting away from her house. Pete had sounded so confident, she’d just left the details to him.

“I’d like to go to the nearest rental car place,” she said.

Silence.

“I’m not sure about Louisa Lake, but I’m sure there’s one close.”

He chuckled.

“I’m assuming that’s the plan. You three can go back to your house after you drop me off.”

Pete looked in his rearview mirror and sped up.

“Look, I appreciate you helping me escape, but now I need to rent a car and say goodbye.”

“At two a.m., Nikki?” Pete stared ahead at the dark highway that was illuminated only by their headlights. “This is pretty much the middle of nowhere. I’ll tell you our plan in a few minutes. Let me make sure we’re not being followed, first.” The truck climbed to sixty mph.

“You’re pretty good at this for a software designer, Pete.” Nikki wasn’t smiling.

In the back seat, Connie told her son to turn off the video game he’d pulled from a pocket. “It’s late and you need to sleep,” she said.

Why would they put Tony through this? “I didn’t expect all three of you to come with me on this.” No one spoke. They increased their speed to sixty-five. Tony sighed in the backseat.

“Oh-oh.” Pete stepped on the gas and they shot up to seventy mph.

Nikki turned around and sure enough, there was a car gaining on them.

“Hang on, everyone.” There was a corner turn ahead and Nikki was in the death seat in the front of the truck. She grabbed her seat belt to make sure it was firmly fastened.

“Are you crazy? They’re just reporters!”

“We’re fine. This truck will take it.” Pete slowed to sixty and, keeping to the right side of the road, hugged the corner. As soon as they were out of sight from the vehicle, he jammed on the brakes, swerved right, down a road and turned off the truck’s lights.

The car sped by them, tires squealing around the curve and continued south. Pete sat watching for a few minutes until headlights illuminated the far lane, heading back toward Louisa Lake. When the same car zoomed by, Pete took off south again. “Lost ’em.” Pete’s grin was visible by the dashboard’s light.

“This isn’t a game, Pete. Don’t risk our lives.” Nikki’s words were clipped.

“Nobody’s life is at risk, Nikki.” Pete spoke softly then snapped his gum.

She felt on the floor for the dog tote. How would she escape if it was some creepy kidnapping plan? The gas gauge said half full and she considered that an escape might be possible at the next gas station.

He cleared his throat. “I suggest everyone get some sleep.” Pete looked content to just leave it at that.

Nikki was anything but content. “If we’re going near Seattle, you can drop me off there.”

“No can do.” He looked at her. “Sorry.”

“Look, Pete.”

“Look, Nikki. I got you out of there, everyone is safe, and now we’re going to my sailboat just to catch some sleep tonight. We’re all tired. Tomorrow we can talk about Seattle.”

“I don’t want to go sailing with you.” The anger in her voice broke through the words. “I have family in Seattle. You can drop me off there. You can leave me anywhere, and I’ll catch a taxi to my daughter’s house.”

Pete was silent.

“Why are Connie and Tony here?”

Pete looked as awake as anyone she could imagine at two o’clock in the morning.

He glanced over at her. “I just helped Goldy escape from the press, and I’d like a little gratitude here.”

Ha! Pete knew exactly who she was. Of course he’d known. That’s why he kissed her. A sense of disappointment invaded, and she tried to ignore it as she gently pulled a groggy Elvis up to her lap. Settling him in to her lap, she then looked into the back of the truck and noticed a tarp secured over a bundle.

“I’d like to be dropped off in Seattle or as close as you are going. No offense, but I don’t care to holiday with you Bayers, thank you very much.” Nikki looked straight ahead.

“No offense taken.”

With that settled, she leaned her head against the headrest, her eyes heavy. Pete had the driving under control. She’d close her eyes, just for a little bit.

****

When Nikki woke up, the truck was still speeding down a highway in the dead of night. Pete was still chewing gum, driving with one hand, looking wide awake.

“Where are we?” She checked her watch.

“Heading west to the Olympic Peninsula. We just went over the Tacoma bridge.”

It was six thirty. She’d been asleep for hours! “I wanted to be dropped off in Seattle.” She’d missed her opportunity to go to Quinn’s.

“You looked sleepy.”

“Pete.” She stared at him. Had they planned all along to take her with them, against her will? It was looking more like a kidnapping, as the miles drifted past them on that lonely stretch of early morning highway. Tony and his mother were curled into each other, asleep. “Why?” she whispered at him.

“It’s a long story.”

She imagined the worst. This man could be Shakespeare, and Connie and Tony might be his victims too. “Are you kidnapping me? Just tell me you’re not a deranged stalker.” Nikki’s heart was in her mouth as she waited.

“I’m not a stalker, Nikki.” He looked over at her. “Although in the past I have enjoyed your concerts. But you are here because you got caught up in our problem. The good news is that you’re not the main attraction this time.”

“What is going on?”

“I know you deserve some answers,” he said, “and I sure as hell didn’t expect you’d get involved in this, but right now I’m just trying to figure out what to tell you.”

“Are you running from the law?” This was the burning question, now that he’d told her he wasn’t the stalker. “Because if you two are bank robbers, or something like that, you can just let me out at the next gas station.”

“Nothing like that.”

“Are you bad guys?” Her voice was weary.

“Nope. We’re the good guys.” Pete popped his gum.

“That’s not reassuring, because even the bad guys think they’re the good guys.”

“Well, we are the actual good guys. I brought you this far because, for one thing, you’d be recognized wherever I let you out and your problem would start all over again. I’m actually doing you a favor.” He smiled at her again and reached over to pet Elvis who was starting to come around. “And for another thing, we need to keep you with us for safety purposes. In thirty minutes, we’ll be at the boat and we can get some sleep. Then I’ll help you go wherever you want. If you choose to leave us, then I can’t tell you who we are.”

Nikki looked at Connie’s sleeping form in the back seat. “Are you two married?” she whispered.

“No,” Connie said, before Pete could stop her.

“Connie.” Pete groaned.

“Well, Pete, you have to admit we make a strange couple. I’m sure Nikki thinks so too.”

“If we tell you more, you’ll have to stay with us for the next few days. You’ll know too much for me to let you go.” Their headlights pierced the dark road as she processed what she knew already and what she guessed.

“Knowing your identity puts
you
in jeopardy, or me?” she asked.

“Everyone, especially Connie,” Pete answered.

She hadn’t thought Connie would be the wild card in this.

“Connie has the most to lose if you know who we are.”

“Tell her, Pete,” Connie pleaded.

He cleared his throat like he might speak, but popped his gum and steered the truck onto a small road, reducing the speed. “We’re almost there. Wake up Tony.”

“If you don’t tell me what’s going on and I leave, I’ll never know who you guys are.”

Pete lowered his scratchy voice. “It’s not a bad deal.”

Connie jumped in. “I guess you’re right.” She sounded exhausted, and Nikki knew it had nothing to do with the fact they’d been up all night.

If she walked away now, she’d spend her whole life wondering who the Bayers were, but if she stayed with them for a few days and they took her into their confidence, she might be putting herself and her baby at risk. “So if I stay with you, you’ll answer all my questions? Explain everything?”

“I’ll explain enough,” Pete said. “But don’t stay out of curiosity.”

“How many days?”

“Maybe a week to ten days.”

She thought back to all her questions about the Bayers. Nikki had invested enough emotion in Connie. It would be hard to walk away. Pete was not married to Connie, but she couldn’t think about that. “Is my life in danger by staying?” This was the deciding factor.

“I can’t guarantee your safety one hundred percent,” Pete said. “But if I didn’t think this was safe, we sure as hell wouldn’t be doing it.” He chuckled without smiling. “You’re safer with me, than most anywhere else in the world. I can guarantee that.”