Trove (The Katie Walsh Mysteries) (17 page)

He set her down only when they were in the elevator. She was still trying to catch her breath when the elevator lurched to a stop. He led her out by the hand, heading towards his condo. She offered no resistance.

He gently pushed her into his condo and led her over to the sofa. She sank down in the soft cushions. As her breathing returned to near normal, she reached up and brushed her sweat-dampened hair off her face. Her breathing was raspy. Without asking, Alec handed her a glass of cool water. She gulped noisily, slurping every last drop.

“Can I… can I have another?” she asked, offering up the empty glass.

“Coming right up,” he said as he went to fetch a refill.

“Thanks,” she said as he placed the glass in her hand. She took a couple of deep breaths, her breathing steadier now.

“Alec?”

He slumped onto the sofa, mere inches from her, his own breathing under control. “Yeah?”

“What was in the box?”

“What?” He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

“What was in the pastry box?”

He shook his head. “Chocolate cannoli.”

“What a waste,” she said.

“Katie,” Alec said as he started to laugh, “you are truly one of a kind.”

They silently slumped on the sofa, each trying to collect their thoughts. After several minutes she jumped up with one hand over her mouth. “I need to use the bathroom.”

“Second door on the right.”

She hurried over and quickly shut the door. He followed her and listened to her retching. He knocked on the door. “Katie? What’s wrong?”

She didn’t hear him when he entered the room as she worshipped at the feet of the porcelain goddess. He knelt behind her and swept her hair back into a ponytail. She leaned forward again and threw up the last remains of her breakfast. A few small retches followed and she leaned backwards, collapsing into his body.

“I’m sorry. I’ll clean up the mess,” she said weakly. “I think it was the extra adrenaline that my body couldn’t absorb.”

He reached over to the sink and grabbed a facecloth. He ran it under the warm water and rang it out, all with one hand, as he held onto her with the other. He wiped her face and neck with the cloth. “You okay now?”

“I-I think so.”

He helped her stand and filled a cup with water. “Sip this, swish it around, and then spit it out. It will clear the bitter taste from your mouth.”

After rinsing her mouth she said, “I think I just need to lie down, let everything settle. Will you take me home please?”

“No,” he said as he reached down, picked her up, and carried her to his bedroom. He laid her gently on his bed then took her shoes off and her jacket. “You can lie here. I won’t disturb you. I need to go to the Institute, but I won’t leave you alone. I’ll get Willie to stay with you until you get on the jet tonight.” He drew the drapes closed, blocking out the bright sunshine that streamed in and threatened to blind her with its brilliance.

Alec grabbed a blanket from the closet and gently tucked it around her. “Sleep, Katie. Call out if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” she replied as she turned on her side.

Alec called Willie and filled him in on the kidnapping attempt. Willie agreed to come over. He stayed by Katie’s side and returned with her to her condo once she woke up.

Just before six she and Willie headed downstairs to the lobby with her gear. As she reached the front door, a black Town car pulled to a stop and a uniformed driver stepped out. Willie thoroughly checked the driver’s ID, including a quick call to his employer to verify what he looked like.

Katie picked up her bags and handed them to the driver. He stowed them in the trunk while she slid into the car and sank back into the supple leather seat, ready for the fifteen minute ride to Logan Airport. Willie climbed in beside her. She could’ve taken the water shuttle from the landing at Independence Wharf next door but she’d have to contend with getting from the airport landing to the terminal. Plus, if she was right, the Nordstrom jet would be parked in a private access area, away from the commercial terminals. She’d be hard pressed to find a shuttle bus that would drop her off there, wherever “there” was.

She jumped as the door beside her opened. The driver bent down. “We’re at the Nordstrom jet. If you would allow me to help you out,” he said as he extended his hand. Willie elbowed him out of the way and quickly scanned the area. He leaned in. “Okay, Katie, all clear,” he said as he reached for her hand. Her ears were immediately bombarded by jet engines in various stages of motion from all over the airport. The Nordstrom jet’s engines were no exception, as they emitted a high-pitched whine as they idled.

A man stepped down from the jet as she approached. “Dr. Walsh?”

“Yes,” she answered, passing him her passport for verification. She grabbed her laptop bag from the driver.

“Please follow me,” he said as he picked up her suitcase and headed up the stairs to the executive jet.

She turned to Willie and gave him a hug before she stepped aboard. Once inside, she quickly looked around. There were eight leather captain’s chairs, four on each side and two leather bench seats with three seat belts running under the windows on each side. “Hmmm, I could get used to this,” she said and smiled at the male flight attendant.

“Welcome aboard, Dr. Walsh. My name is George and I’ll be your flight attendant tonight. We’ve been cleared for take-off at seven. Flying time should be a bit under six hours.” He walked to a door at the rear of the main cabin and opened it. “There is a bed, if you’d care to rest anytime during the flight except takeoff and landing. May I get you something to drink before we leave? I’ll be serving dinner later.”

“A vodka tonic, please, and George, please call me Katie.”

He shook his head. “Sorry, but we’ve been instructed to address all personnel by their titles.”

She shrugged. “What stuffed shirt decided that?”

“I believe it was Dr. Samuel Austin.”

She swallowed. “Dr. Walsh it is.”

He returned with her drink. “May I get you anything else?”

She shook her head. “Later perhaps, but for now, no.”

Her eyes swept around the cabin. She chose one of the chairs on the right side of the plane, facing the back. She looked out the window, watching the lights of Boston come to life and the boats moving through the sunset-speckled waters of Boston Harbor. She sighed and murmured, “Yes, I could definitely get used to this.”

****

Robert was waiting in his car in front of the condo. Alec sprinted out, opened the rear door, tossed his suitcase in, and slammed the door shut, shaking the car. He sank into the front passenger seat. “You’re late. Let’s get going,” Alec barked as he looked at his watch, 6:22 p.m.

“Relax. She’s safe. She went directly to the airport. Willie watched her board the plane and the security was tight at the access gate. George, the attendant on the jet, confirmed her
arrival. Willie’s still there, watching the plane, ready to take on any trouble.”

Alec’s jaw tensed. “I found out from the receptionist today that Katie received an envelope by bike messenger yesterday. And before you ask, no, she didn’t open it in front of Diane. She slipped it into her laptop bag.”

“So no idea what it was or who sent it?”

Alec shook his head. “No, Diane didn’t note the messenger service, probably some freelancer. I understand that type of business is very fluid. The bikers pick up work on an as-needed basis.”

“Just ask her what was in the package,” Robert said. “She’ll probably only scratch you a few times for invading her privacy.”

Alec chuckled and shook his head. “She is a handful, very independent, and extremely bright. I can almost see the wheels in her brain turning in overdrive when I talk to her as she tries to stay at least one step ahead of me.” He smiled. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m just worried that something bad is going to happen to her. I have this feeling… first that letter and now the envelope.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “What the hell can I do? This is all on me. I brought this into her life.”

Robert sighed, his shoulders sagged and his hands tightened on the steering wheel before he turned his head for quick moment. “Well, for starters, you stay with her, little brother. We at least owe it to her to keep her safe until this is over. We’ll deal with any fallout later.

They continued in silence, arriving at 6:39 p.m. Robert waited for clearance to the tarmac.

Alec could see the navigation lights on the jet flashing. The stairway was still extended to the ground. “Come on, come on,” he urged, striking the dashboard.

Robert punched his arm. “Hey, this is
my
car. Respect it.”

The gate opened and Robert drove to the foot of the extended stairs. Alec jumped out of the car and retrieved his bag from the back. He looked over at Robert. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch. And tell Willie to be available.”

Robert smirked. “That’s assuming you survive the wrath of Katie. You do know she’s not going to be pleased when she sees you.”

“Yeah, I get it. I’m going to be caged up with the little wildcat for the next six hours.”

“Hey,” Robert called as he headed for the jet.

“What?”

Robert laughed. “Maybe she’ll slap you on the other side of your face. Give you a matching hand imprint.”

“Screw you,” Alec mouthed as he headed up the stairs, absently rubbing his face where she’d slapped him early that morning.

“Welcome aboard, Dr. MacGowan. Please strap yourself in. We’ll be taking off in a few minutes. After that I’ll be back to take your drink order.” The flight attendant left to secure the exit door, sealing them in for the next six hours.

Katie’s head snapped up when she heard George greet him. She started to rise, forgetting her seat belt. The drink in her hand tipped into her lap. “Damn,” she swore softly, reaching down to release the belt. Freed from her restraint, she rose and spun to face him.

“Dr. Walsh, how thoughtful that you included me on your research jaunt.”

She glared at him. “You have no right to be here. You are absolutely stalking me. Please get off the plane
now
.”

“I have every right to be here. I am your boss. I am accompanying you and will be assisting you with your research. It’s all been arranged and approved by Dr. Austin.”

Alec placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her into her seat. “Sit. You can change after we reach cruising altitude,” he said, looking down at her wet pants.

She fell into the chair. He reached down to secure her seat belt. She swatted his hand. “I can do it. Now back off,” she snapped.

****

Conversation through takeoff was sparse. After she’d changed her pants, Katie had plugged in her MP3 player to listen to an audio book as she waited for dinner. She huffed as she rewound the first chapter for the third time. She just couldn’t concentrate with Alec that close. His nearness threatened to overwhelm her senses and her sensibility. Since he’d shown up, she felt her control slipping away, bit by bit, like an ice cube slowly melting. And she didn’t like it. She was uncomfortable, in foreign territory with no beacons to help her navigate along this voyage into the unknown.

She needed to decipher those damn runes and then she’d be able to put some distance between them. She shifted slightly in her chair, still restrained by the safety belt, and stole a look at him. He was reading a book and he wore glasses, reading glasses that perched about midway down his nose. She shook her head slightly. They only added to his appeal, making him look even more intelligent than she guessed him to be and sexy as hell. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

Alec looked up and over the glasses at her. “I need them for reading and close-up work.” He turned to face her. “I wear contacts for most of the day, but by night time I like to take them out, give my eyes a chance to breathe and relax.”

She shivered. “I just can’t stand the thought of poking myself in the eyes. So,” she said, “I’m stuck with these.” She lifted her hand to push her glasses back up her nose, but he reached over and slid them back up before she had a chance.

“They add to your charm, KitKat. Though I do think you got shortchanged on your nose.”

She pursed her lips. “My nose is just fine, thank you. I have my mother’s nose.” And then she couldn’t help herself. “At least I don’t have to worry about having my nose enter a room before I do.” A picture of Lucy Millar flashed before her. But then she relented. It wasn’t nice and it wasn’t true.

He laughed. “Are you referring to anyone in particular?”

She smiled and shook her head.

“I like it when you smile. Your eyes almost glow sort of a golden green. You should do it more often.”

She deliberately screwed up her face, wrinkling her nose. “Are you saying that I look mean, grumpy most times?”

Alec sighed. “No. But you can come across as stand-offish at times.”

Katie relaxed her expression. She remembered what Dr. Austin had said to her a few days ago. She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just that people don’t take me seriously. I think a lot of times people look at my lack of height and just don’t consider me grown up.”