Ask a Shadow to Dance (11 page)

David touched her shoulder. “Thanks, Candy, for all your trouble.” She blushed. He withdrew his hand, feeling awkward, like a high school kid on a first date. He knew he shouldn’t have agreed to Joe’s bringing her. But she’d found Lisette! How could he ignore that?

“No problem, David. It’s fascinating. I hope I get to meet this old-fashioned girl of yours someday. She sounds like someone really special. And no one should be mistreated.”

“You’ve got that right. If I can persuade her not to run away again, I’ll introduce her to you.
Joe, thanks for everything. And thanks for bringing the history professor with you.” Looking at Candy this time made the pit of his stomach feel hollow. What was happening? He’d made his decision. Just because she was being so cooperative and helpful didn’t change how David felt about her, did it?

“Any time, Bro. Ready, Candy?”

“Just one more question. Think about the first time you met, David. Did she do or say anything odd about the boat or—”

“She said she’d ridden the riverboat twice.” He tried to reconstruct their conversation. The lights! “I completely forgot! She saw the lights on the De Soto Bridge,
then asked me when they’d built a bridge over the river. Damn! I’d forgotten all about that.”

Candy nodded. “There weren’t any bridges over the river at Memphis in the 1880s.
Anything else?”

David thought for a moment. “She called the boat a different name. I’ve lost so much sleep, my memory is mush.”

“What name?”

“Damn! How stupid can I get? She called it the
Star
instead of the
Queen
. The
Cajun Star
!” He reached for the newspaper article about the commemorative dance. “The riverboat that disappeared was the
Cajun Star
.”

“My God, David.
Is there another riverboat in Memphis with that name?”

“Nope.”
David studied their faces for a long moment. “This is getting creepy, folks.”

“Let me do some digging.” Candy gripped his arm as she and Joe were leaving. “Ask her what year she thinks it is when you see her tomorrow.”

“She’ll think I’m crazy.”

“She’ll be amused. I would be. Good night.” She hesitated,
then kissed David quickly. When she smiled he felt guiltier than ever.

David waited until they were in the car,
then turned off the porch light. He picked up the newspaper article about the
Cajun Star
and reread the names of the passengers. Coincidence? Practically impossible.

The doorbell rang. Candy.

“I hope you don’t mind my coming back, David. Joe said he didn’t mind waiting a few minutes.”

“No, no.” She appeared as nervous as David felt. “Come in.”

“I know it means a lot to you to find this woman and protect her.” She sat on the couch.

“Yes, it does.” She had no idea how much.

“Can we talk about something?”

He knew what was coming but didn’t seem to have a choice about it. “Sure.”

She stared at him for a moment. “Why, David?”

“Why?
Why what?” Damn. This was the last thing he wanted to discuss.

“Why did you end it? I thought we had something special. Then, out of the blue, you don’t want to see me anymore and won’t give any reason. Is it this woman? Have you been seeing her? I think you owe me that much. Surely, after all this time—”

“Candy, it’s over. I told you when I first met Lisette—Saturday night on the riverboat. I’d already decided, before I met her, it just wasn’t going to work between us. Can’t we leave it at that?”

“No. I’ll never be able to get past it without knowing for sure what went wrong. I love you, David. I thought we had something worth keeping. I knew you were still hurting—even after all these years—but I was willing to accept that, help you through it. What went wrong?”

He still wasn’t sure he knew the answer. “It isn’t you, Candy. It’s me.”

“I don’t believe that, David. I can’t.”

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing else to say.”

“I thought you loved me.” Her eyes were bright, moist.

“I thought I did too.” She deserved to know that much.

“What changed your mind? What did I do wrong?” She came to where he was sitting and leaned against him, the way she had since they’d first been dating. He still felt a measure of attraction for her and supposed he always would. It was the same attraction that had brought them together in the first place. But everything was different now.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I just know it isn’t right.”

“It could be right, David. Give us another chance, please. I know we could be happy. We
were
happy. Is it so wrong to put the past away and get on with the rest of your life?”

“Candy—”

She tried to kiss him. His emotions were in turmoil. He had made no commitment to Lisette, and yet there was something …

He stood, moved away. Joe’s bringing her here had been a mistake. David never should have agreed to it. Now he’d hurt her again, worse than before. He felt terrible.

She stood with her arms at her sides, stiff, humiliated. “Well, I guess that says it all.”

“Look, Candy, I tried to tell you. I didn’t want you to be hurt. When Joe brought you over here to help me find Lisette Morgan, he didn’t tell you the primary reason for that search.”

She didn’t say anything, just waited.

As the words formed in his mind, he felt a tremendous sense of relief, as though they’d been there all along but he was too stubborn or too afraid to acknowledge them.

“I care a great deal for her. I know it sounds crazy, since I’ve known her only a short time, but it’s true. It has to do with the part of me that’s been missing since Fran died.”

Candy’s expression had changed to understanding, and possibly even acceptance, probably because he had changed, in ways he couldn’t define.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t find her again. I have to find her.”

Candy put her arms around him and held him without speaking for a long moment, then she whispered, “I’m glad, David. You’ll find her, I know you will. Then maybe you can be happy.”

She left before he could respond. He wondered if he’d ever see her again.

It took him a long time to get to sleep that night. What would he do if Lisette didn’t come to the Peabody? The last time he looked at the clock was 1:15 a.m.

* * * * *

The telephone woke him the next morning. “Joe? Did I forget to set my alarm again?”

“Nope. It’s only 7:30. I have an idea. Why don’t I go with you to the Peabody?”

David rubbed his eyes and tried to wake up. Another hour’s sleep would’ve felt pretty good.

“Go with me? Why?”

“Well, just to help you keep an eye on things, in case she decides to pull the disappearing act again. She can’t very well get away from both of us can she, without one of us seeing where she goes?”

“I suppose not.” David pulled his legs around and sat on the side of the bed. “I don’t intend to let her disappear this time.”

“I know. If she does turn out to be a time traveler, I want to meet her. Hell, Bro, I want to meet her anyway. Whadya say?”

The old Joe, as adventurous as ever. “Why not. Join the party. I’m going early, about eleven.”

“Make it 10:45. We’ll greet the ducks.”

David headed for the shower. It would take a substantial amount of hot water to clear the fog from his mind this morning.

By 8:30 he was wide-awake and sipping hot coffee from his favorite mug. Alyssa had made it for him at day care. It was one of those plastic cups with a slot all the way around so a drawing could be inserted. She’d drawn the three of them, a house with windows well above the top of the front door, a chimney puffing smoke, several lollipop trees surrounding the house and a quarter
sun in one corner, beaming down on the happy family. How long had it been since David had been that happy?

He pulled into the hospital parking lot at 9:15, made rounds in record time, and left by 10:30, headed for the Peabody. He’d talked to Lana. Greg would take care of his patients this afternoon and tomorrow.

Joe was already there when David pulled in and parked across the street. They went into the elegant lobby together. David never failed to marvel at the intricacy of the decor. A week to go until Thanksgiving, and the staff had already decorated for the Christmas holidays. The Christmas tree on the second floor, overlooking the lobby, twinkled merrily while fluffy green garlands strung with lights looped their way around the elegant railings. The ceiling complemented the festive atmosphere. Stained glass, lighted from above and framed with carved and painted wood, lent Victorian elegance to the tangle of guests and spectators below. The bar was busy serving drinks to those waiting for the ducks to come down from their penthouse roost to swim in the fountain. The baby grand player piano entertained everyone with show tunes and Christmas carols.

David went straight to the fountain. It was impossible to see any of the entrances from this vantage point, but the fountain was centrally located and the logical place to meet.

“Did the hotel look like this in the 1880s?” Joe wondered aloud.

“Similar. After a hundred and twenty years, the decor has changed somewhat, but it was the most elegant hotel in Memphis then, just as it is now. Except for the bar, this area is about the same as it was in the 1920s.”

The ducks had become a tradition and permanent residents of the hotel after the manager had placed his live hunting decoys in the Travertine marble fountain in the 1930s. There were no ducks in the fountain prior to that time.

The elevator doors opened at eleven. The ducks waddled out to the “King Cotton March,” laughter and applause. Mallards all, they apparently enjoyed the attention of the crowd, strutting up the steps and into the water. The drake immediately chased one of the hens around the fountain, to everyone’s delight, honking and splashing. David enjoyed the antics, glancing frequently about the lobby, toward the elevators and shops. There was no sign of Lisette anywhere, but it was still early.

They settled down to wait. David sat at a table beside the fountain. Joe leaned against the wall near the elevators so he could keep an eye on the entrance flanked by bronze statues of two huge dogs. Life at the Peabody continued uninterrupted.

David couldn’t sit still. Every few minutes he left the fountain, checked each entrance,
studied the faces of tourists, guests and hotel personnel. By a quarter of twelve, he couldn’t stay seated at all.

There was still no sign of Lisette at 12:30. David was a nervous wreck. Joe finally intercepted one of his rounds, near the fountain. “Listen, Bro, maybe she couldn’t get away. I hate it as much as you do, but—”

“How could you? You don’t—”

The quacking of the ducks stopped as though they’d been mechanical and someone had pulled the plug. David took a deep breath. The ducks had vanished—along with Joe.

Silhouetted against sunshine gleaming through windows that hadn’t been there before, stood a woman in a floor-length black dress. Lisette.

She searched the lobby until their eyes met. David could see she was breathing heavily, as though she’d rushed to get here. She came toward him tentatively.

He took one step toward her, then another. A poker player, who had appeared at one of the tables, leaped to his feet. “Will Barton, you’re a liar and a cheat!”

“Who are you calling a cheat?
You sorry, low-down skunk. Step outside and say that again!”

The quarreling gamblers swaggered past Lisette and toward the far exit. David tensed, afraid she would run away or disappear, but she didn’t.

“Lisette.”

She smiled for the first time. “You came.” She hurried toward him.

There, in the center of the lobby, David hesitated, not knowing what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but would she object? He decided to risk it.

When she stepped closer, he gathered her into his arms and held her. God, but she felt good. That same perfume—lemon verbena—filled him, made him dizzy. After an instant of hesitation, Lisette tightened her arms around him. They fit together as though fashioned from the same mold.

He stroked the back of her neck, forgetting about her hair coiled with what proved to be a single pin. The pin came loose and her hair spread across her shoulders and down her back like silk. Her breasts, pressed against him, continued to rise and fall, slowing gradually.

“Don’t disappear again. Please,” he whispered.

“I knew it wasn’t just a dream. Your being here proves it.” She glanced around nervously. “Andrew could be here soon. The lieutenant won’t be able to detain him much longer. He may have seen us come here. We have to go somewhere so we can talk without his finding us. I have so many questions to ask you.”

“I’ll take you to the ends of the earth and back if that’s what you want. No one is ever going to hurt you again, I promise.”

Her smile almost broke his heart. He leaned toward her. Would she permit a kiss as well?