Necessary Detour (16 page)

Pete and Tony emerged from the living room with Connie close behind. “Are you looking for me?” she said. Connie didn’t look like her life had just been threatened.

“Yes.” Nikki had to think fast. “I’m on my way into town and wanted to know if you need anything.” She tried to sound casual.

Connie smoothed her blue sweater over her jeans. “Oh, thanks, I don’t think so.” She glanced at Pete and he shook his head. Connie didn’t appear upset about not being allowed out of the house. Had Nikki heard correctly? The situation in front of her was confusing, but she wasn’t ready to walk away from the Bayers just yet.

“Or…” Nikki paused. “Why not come with me to town, and we’ll see if someone at the beauty salon can do our nails.” She tried to look like this was the offer of the century and it would take a huge stick-in-the-mud to turn down the adventure.

Tony stared at his mother strangely, like they’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

“You can come too, Tony, and we’ll get ice cream.” Nikki would run them to the bus station, give them cash and they could take off from there, as long as they had somewhere to go.

Connie glanced at her husband, who was staring at Nikki, then she glanced at Tony and back to Nikki. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m just getting ready to make some cannoli.” She smiled sweetly.

Was she kidding? Cannoli? Nikki was giving her the opportunity to go to town. To be free of the man who’d just threatened her son, if nothing else. “Cannoli can wait. Come on, Connie.”

“Maybe some other time.” Connie was the epitome of calmness, which confused Nikki all the more.

They stared at Nikki like she’d suggested something out of the question. She’d drop her attempt to rescue them for now and pretend she hadn’t heard Pete moments before, telling his wife she couldn’t go into town and he’d kill Tony if he took the keys again. What else could she do?

“Honey, go get your nails done.” He nodded at Connie. “Tony and I can manage.”

Nikki got the impression this was some sort of test for Connie.

“No, thanks.” Connie answered too quickly. “I was just in town yesterday, and I really want to get at those cannoli.”

Connie hadn’t been in town the day before, unless it was the middle of the night. They had to drive by her back door to leave the property and Nikki would have heard. What kind of game was she playing?

Use the code word
. Nikki cursed her choice in words. How could Connie use “Goldilocks” in a sentence right now?

“Well, I’m also going to the library if you want any books. Romance fiction? Fairytales? Suspense?” Nikki smiled widely.
Goldilocks?
Any semblance of that stupid name would do.

All was silent, and it was obvious that they were waiting for Nikki to leave. That or they were only several sentences away from spilling the truth. “If you think of anything you need, call me. I’ll give you my cell number,” Nikki said, heading toward a piece of paper and pen on the counter.

“I’ve got it,” Pete blurted, before Nikki took a step.

“How could you have my cell number?” Nikki spun around.

He looked at Connie. “Do we have it?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

“In that case,” Pete said, “write it down.” He handed Nikki the pen and paper.

Tony watched this exchange like a spectator at a tennis match, his gaze going from one person to the next. It was strange that he found this more interesting than the video game he’d been playing.

On her way out the door, Nikki shot Pete a look as if to say “I’m watching you,” and he looked genuinely shocked. Good.

Walking back to Birch House, Nikki contemplated what she should do. Call the FBI again? Dammit. She’d forgotten the reason she’d come over—the photo of her supposed boyfriend on the news today. Funny, but in the photo he didn’t look like a psychopath with a dual personality. He looked like a studly man who might be the lover of a world famous rock star. But, she admitted that she’d been a poor judge of character before.

****

“They’re strange?” Harold asked when she phoned him.

“Yes. Extremely! He won’t let her go into town, he has a gun, and I’m sure he said he’d kill them if they left the house. Something is going on over there, Harold, and I can’t get Connie to admit it.”

“Well, there’s no law against being a sonofabitch.”

“There is if he’s threatening them, and it’s more than that. They might not even be married. The wife and son are scared of him. He’s not nice around them but is sweet around me. Please, Harold, I think she’s in danger.” Nikki didn’t want to go over Harold’s head on this, but she would if she had to, and if she did, people would act. “Can you check them out?”

“I’ll look into it, but Nikki,” Harold said, “just leave them alone.” He sighed. “Most marriages have their problems.”

Harold didn’t sound like the situation warranted his attention, and Nikki hung up, frustrated. Would a sixty-two year old sheriff in a sleepy little tourist town, know how to investigate someone? Nikki wasn’t sure.

Next she phoned Gateman to see what he knew about this guy next door. He’d been elusive when she’d mentioned his name, but why?

“Nikki, you need to leave the lake. That aside, my job is to investigate the stalker, and I’m sure the next door neighbor is not him.”

“He sounds like just the sort of person the FBI should investigate, Ted!” Nikki couldn’t convince Gateman to report Pete Bayer and according to Ted, whoever they had planted to watch Nikki wasn’t about to include protecting Connie Bayer. “No can do.” Gateman sounded almost annoyed. “Ignore the neighbors and please reconsider going to a place where we can protect you better.”

Later, Nikki phoned Harold to see what he’d found and got the impression he hadn’t even thought about it since they’d talked.

“Hello, Nikki. What’s up? Oh, I looked into your family next door.”

“What have you got?”

“They’re perfectly legit, nice folks.” His voice was patronizing, like her request to investigate them had been silly child’s play. “They’re from Tacoma then Bellevue; he worked for Microsoft. The kid is from a first marriage, just what you told me.”

“Does he have a license to carry the gun?”

“Everything checks out, Nikki.”

Harold found the information her private investigator couldn’t? “Then what should I do about her situation? I can’t let him forbid her to go to town.”

“You can and you will, Nikki. It’s none of your business. You know marriage is hard.”

Nikki wished he’d stop saying that.

“Just stay out of it.” Harold yawned.

God dammit. She hung up the phone and questioned her level of involvement in the Bayers’ life. What if something happened and she could’ve helped? Everyone advised that she mind her own business, but she knew what needed to be done. She had to get Connie alone. Trouble was that Pete never left them, unless he was walking around outside or going out to his truck. And then there was the matter of the gun that Nikki had to consider. He’d almost used it on her. If she helped Connie and Tony escape to a safe house at an undisclosed location, she had to believe he’d use the gun to get them back. He would suspect Nikki’s involvement, and then she couldn’t return to the lake until Pete left. She’d have to continue on to her own type of safe house. But, if she didn’t try to help Connie, she’d never be able to live with herself, especially if Connie was murdered by her husband, and Nikki hadn’t tried to intervene.

****

Phyllis issued the statement to the press about the male neighbor’s reputation being compromised and Goldy not being in residence. The decoy was still ordering room service at the Atlantis Resort and doing a damned fine job of pretending to be an elusive rock star. Nikki hoped that would end the speculation that Goldy was canoodling with a hunk on a lake in the Pacific Northwest.

Still, she couldn’t figure out why the visiting photographers hadn’t identified the lake. They hadn’t said the words “Louisa Lake.” Maybe too afraid. The Goldy camp had recently won a lawsuit against a tabloid for printing defaming photos of herself and Quinn during what looked like an argument, in the privacy of their own home. Some slimeball was up a tree taking pictures of them and used the caption “Perfect Mother? You Decide.” The worst photo showed Nikki with a monstrous look on her face and Quinn cringing. What they didn’t print was that Nikki was re-enacting a scene from a movie, and a few seconds later, the punch line would make Quinn laugh hysterically.

Twenty-five million dollars later, the press was more careful and the Humane Society was thanking Goldy for her generous donation. Unfortunately, Nikki knew there would always be a percentage of the population who thought she was a bad mother after seeing that photo. And without having the world policing her parenting skills, she had enough to worry about. All Quinn’s life Nikki had questioned her own proficiency as a parent, never allowing herself more than an “adequate mother” label. Most of her childhood, Quinn had been handed off to a nanny so Nikki could run onstage or get to a photo shoot, rehearsal, TV appearance. Nikki’s absence in the daily stream of her child’s life had been heartbreakingly difficult, sharing motherhood with paid workers. But she was Goldy and, as Burn reminded her constantly, hundreds of people counted on her to pay their wages, not to mention the thousands who counted on her to entertain them. Having now made it through the first trimester with this baby, Nikki was determined with all the fierce of a mother lion, to give her second child what Quinn never knew—her undivided time.

****

The next day, Nikki hadn’t left the lake and saw an opportunity to speak to Connie alone, when Pete started up the truck. He’d done this before but always returned within five minutes. Taking advantage of the small window of opportunity, she was ready when the Chevy flew by her house.

Nikki raced to the Dickerson house and knocked frantically. Unable to wait, she tried the door, expecting to let herself in. It was locked. “Connie! It’s Nikki. Can I talk to you?” The lock clicked.

“Pete isn’t here.” Connie looked through a crack, the door still bolted.

“I know. I want to talk to you.”

Connie undid the bolt and, as Nikki stepped in, she realized that Connie was not wearing her wig and might have hesitated because of that.

“Is Pete gone long?” Nikki asked.

Connie shook her head. “Just a few minutes.”

“Hi.” Tony appeared from his bedroom.

Nikki wanted to say this without Tony, but she only had a minute. “Connie, I know you are in some sort of trouble. You and Tony need to get away from Pete. I found you a safe house in Spokane. They’ve agreed to hide you and help get you back on your feet. I can drive you there.” Nikki wanted Connie to consent to a getaway plan before Pete showed up. At the very least, Nikki wanted her to agree it was the best thing.

Connie’s face softened. “Oh, Nikki, you are the sweetest person.”

“Let me help you.” Nikki took Connie’s small hand in hers and to her surprise, Connie smiled. At first it was just barely a grin, beginning at the corners of her mouth, and then it spread to a wide smile.

“Mom, what does she mean?” Tony was beside his mother now, looking at her.

“I’ll tell you later, honey.” She turned back to Nikki. “You have this wrong. Pete is no danger to us.”

“But I’ve seen him…” Nikki didn’t want to say this in front of Tony but she had to. “I’ve seen him….bully you and intimidate you.”

“Not really. He’s looking after us.” She smiled warmly.

The sound of a truck drove up to the house. “Connie, don’t be foolish. You have your son to think of.”

Connie shook her head.

“Don’t be too scared to leave him. I’ll help you.” Nikki’s voice rose in intensity.

“You can’t help me.” Connie’s voice was quiet, a whisper.

“I can take you to a safe house.” Nikki was frantic.

Outside, Pete’s truck door slammed.

Connie dropped Nikki’s hand and backed away. “This is safe.” She turned around, grabbed the first thing on the counter which happened to be a stick of butter, and as the door opened, spoke. “Let me know if you need more. I have another pound in the fridge.” She handed Nikki the butter.

Pete slammed the side door.

“Nikki came by.” Connie smiled at her husband. “She came over to borrow some butter.”

“Nikki again?” Pete walked into view. “More buns?” He didn’t sound friendly this time.

“No.” Nikki turned back to face Connie, waving the stick of butter. “Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”

Pete opened the door and, on her way out, Nikki spun around and with a look meant just for Connie, said, “Let me know if I can be a lifesaver for you.”

****

When Pete returned to the house, something wasn’t right. He drew his gun and listened through the door. Two people talking and one wasn’t Tony. Two women. Probably Nikki with Connie. The door was unlocked. Shit.

He burst in, gun drawn, only to see the back of Nikki. How’d she get past him? She sure was giving that FBI agent stationed at the road a run for his money. Pete tucked his gun into the back of his pants. Something was up with these two women. When Nikki left, Connie assured Pete it was nothing. “She thinks you’re strange and came over to see if I’m safe.”

Strange?

Having the FBI close had come in handy with the reporters. Although Pete couldn’t threaten them, the FBI sure could and did. The guys in the rental boat must’ve feared for their lives. They’d kept the Goldy location a secret for several days. Until it leaked. How boring was it for the FBI agents in the van to sit all day long and watch the main road? Were the squirrels moving their video cameras too?