A Heart Full of Diamonds (2 page)

Arriving in Los Angeles, Marilee, laden with duffle,
carry-on, and purse, asked for bus instructions to the Amtrak station. She
caught the bus, thankful to have missed any more of Tony’s comrades. Making the
necessary transfers, she reached the train station.

Slipping into a ladies’ room cubicle, she changed clothing
and wig to something less garish and redid her make-up. Leaving the restroom,
she consulted the schedules and bought a ticket to San Diego.

The train ride wasn’t long, and soon Marilee was in another
stall, changing everything once more. She left the room, took a city bus to the
Greyhound station, and bought passage for Salt Lake City. She sincerely hoped her
varied trail would be sufficiently muddied to keep her hidden and safe.

The silence in the study was deceptively peaceful as Tony
stood at his desk and pulled his suit coat on, snugging his silk tie close
against his throat. He looked at his desk, his open planner displaying all the
red lines postponing appointments; in short, the total destruction of his
well-planned day. It galled him to think of the money those cancellations
represented; he’d retrieve Marilee from Dallas, correct her antics, and then
extract revenge for the havoc wreaked on his schedule.

His grimace filled with malevolence as he devised ways she’d
pay. And yes, she’d definitely pay. People always paid when they crossed him. His
wife would be no exception. Afterwards, he’d eliminate her. Beautiful as she
was, the marriage hadn’t been as advantageous as he’d envisioned, and it would
be beneficial to be rid of her. He flipped his planner closed and started
around the desk when the telephone rang.

He reached for the instrument, lifting the earpiece quickly.

“Hello?” Tony’s voice was eager.

“Tony, it’s Jamison.” Jamison’s voice sounded strained.

“Got her?” Anticipation was evident in his tone.

A long pause hung from the other end of the line. “I had
her.” Tinged with fear, the voice was low and filled with bitter regret.

“You
had
her? What does that mean, you
had
her?
I’m on my way, where is she?” Anger he could almost taste burned sharply in his
words.

Jamison’s voice held all the trepidation of a mouse waiting
for the cat holding him to chomp. Tony heard the deep breath being taken and
released before Jamison’s quavering voice came through.

“I don’t know. She just vanished.” The voice gave the
impression the body housing it just slumped in his seat.

Tony took his own breath and blew it out explosively with an
ugly sound. “A person doesn’t just vanish. She’s got to be there. Tell me
exactly from the time she stepped off the plane.” Although the anger in Tony’s
voice sent the correct message to Jamison, Jamison appeared relieved Tony was
willing to listen.

“Well, she got off the plane and got her bags and I grabbed
her. I took her to the side and sat her down. After a while, she had to use the
ladies room. I couldn’t follow her
in
there, so I waited just outside
with her bags. After fifteen minutes, she hadn’t come out, so I grabbed a lady
cop. I told her my wife wasn’t feeling well, and would she please check on her.

“Well, the cop went in there and then all hell broke loose. An
abandoned suitcase was stuffed behind a john and the cop thought it was a bomb.
She called the bomb squad, and in seconds a jillion cops ran into the restroom.

“Tony, I swear. There was only one way in or out of the john,
and I was right there, watching. I didn’t move my eyes away for even a second! I
swear nobody who looked even remotely like Marilee came out that door. She just
disappeared, Tony. She had to come straight past me, and I was watching every
person. I swear it! I just don’t know where she’s gone.”

Silence reigned as Tony digested what Jamison had revealed. He
pondered his options, sifting facts against his knowledge of Marilee. He
finally broke the stillness with a question.

“What time was that?”

“I grabbed her about 9:45. The security chick went in about
10:15.”

“Fine. I’ll put some competent people on it from here. Send
her bags to me at your expense. You get bupkus, moron. Hope you can find your
way home.”  With that, Tony slammed the receiver down hard, mashing his thumb
in the process. He’d take care of Jamison later, especially if her luggage didn’t
arrive soon.

Tony turned his computer on and spent an hour doing some
creative hacking. He couldn’t find any ‘Marilee Ferguson’, or ‘M. Ferguson’ on
any flights leaving Dallas today. Maybe she hadn’t left Dallas yet, but was
still hiding from Jamison. He’d start there. He picked up the phone and punched
out a number. Another of his good friends answered.

“Craig? Tony Ferguson here; got a problem. Marilee went
through my briefcase and found some confidential papers. She thought they
looked suspicious. She’s run off, and I need some expert help tracking her down
before she goes public with the whole thing. She could blow a very sensitive
deal for one of my clients if she’s not careful.”

Craig Oberdorff asked a few questions. Tony told him where
and when Marilee had last been seen, and promised to send Craig a recent
photograph of her. They finished the call by agreeing on a fee schedule, and
hung up.

Craig was one of the best investigators Tony knew. It would
only be a matter of time until she was found. Tony smiled and with relish began
to devise the ways Marilee would pay for her perfidy.

Arriving in Salt Lake City, Marilee gathered her duffle and
carry-on, slung her purse strap over her shoulder, and hailed a taxi. The hotel
she chose wasn’t far from the Greyhound station. She breathed a sigh of tired
pleasure after booking herself in. Armed with a local newspaper and a city
street map, she went up to her room.

Once there, she dropped her bags on the bed and sighed with
relief. She was exhausted, stinky, and famished. She showered quickly and
headed out to find some dinner.

Marilee ate rapidly and returned to her room. She brushed
her teeth and tumbled into sleep almost before her head came to rest on the
pillow.

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, and Marilee woke
with a smile on her face. She’d escaped! Her plans had worked even with the ‘Jamison
Glitch’ and she was free! She got up, showered and brushed her teeth, humming
softly.

Emptying the suitcase onto the bed, Marilee inventoried her
possessions. Most of her things were in the largest of the bags Jamison had
stood guard over. Dismay that she had very little besides her disguise clothes,
changed to gratitude.

I’m alive
, she thought,
and that’s wonderful
. The
reality of this thought brought an instant euphoria.

“I’m alive!” she said to the room at large. “And I had my
disguise clothes when I most needed them. And, beginning today,
I’m
in
charge of me!” Laughter bubbled up, released into the air, and eddied around
her.

“Hooray for me!” she said, then laughed as she twirled
around the room in a crazy, two-minute dance. Then, looking back at the sum of
her worldly goods, she sobered.

Her eyes took in what was here; her brain catalogued the
missing items. Marilee winced as she thought of the suitcase she left behind. It
held more than just her clothes. The diamond and sapphire necklace Tony had
given her for their wedding had been in there. She’d taken it as an extra asset
above what she’d removed from their bank account. The rest of the jewelry he’d
given her was still in their wall safe, and he had the only key. He hadn’t
noticed she’d kept the necklace after the Thanksgiving party they’d attended.

Most of the jewelry Tony had given her was to show off, and
she hated it. This was the one piece she liked and Marilee strongly regretted
its loss. Well, it couldn’t be helped; the alternative was intolerable. She
smiled once more at her freedom.

Choosing the only pantsuit she hadn’t yet worn, she laid it out
on the bed. She looked at her image in the mirror. Always happy with the pale
blonde color of her hair, she would miss the long, shimmering mass. With full
determination and tears in the corners of her eyes, she opened a box of auburn
hair dye. Following the directions, she began.

Hours later, her hair dyed and combed straight with one side
tucked behind her ear, she dressed quickly. She threw the evidence of her color
change in the trash can down the hall. Marilee absolutely didn’t want it traced
to her room.

 As part of her disguise last night when she’d checked in to
her room she’d had a floppy hat which had covered her wig, so even if she saw
the same people at the front desk, they wouldn’t notice she’d changed hair
color overnight.

Straightening the room, she left and headed for the dining
room and breakfast. She took with her the street map and advertisement section
of the newspaper. As late morning as it was now, this was really brunch instead
of breakfast. A smile played at the corners of her mouth. She knew no one working
in the restaurant cared what she called the meal, as long as she paid for it
and left a generous tip.

Eating, she scanned ads for reasonably priced, furnished
apartments close to downtown. Her funds would last awhile, but she’d need to be
careful until she got a job.

Marilee was grateful she’d been able to clear out their
joint account without Tony finding out. It had been harrowing, to say the
least, with her nerves strung tight enough to break.

Her meal over, she found phone booths just outside the
dining room. Armed with a pocketful of change, Marilee made several calls. She
spoke with owners, finding places with close proximity to bus routes, downtown,
and shopping.

She set up appointments for the afternoon, then checked out
of the hotel, confident of finding something before day’s end. If that didn’t
happen, a different hotel would have to do. She hailed a taxi whose driver
stowed her bags in the trunk and Marilee gave him the first address on her
list.

As the taxi drove off, the early afternoon sun bathed the
valley in light. High mountains towering behind office buildings provided a
breath-taking panorama like one would find on a picture post card. Marilee
noticed the lofty peaks nearly ringed the entire valley. Looking around, she
felt sort of protected, if that was the correct word, in this valley nestled in
the mountains. She took her first deep breath of peace in nearly two months.

The taxi headed now for the third address on her list; a
duplex. Up a steep hill on the northern slope of the valley, they turned left,
continuing up a much gentler slope for a few short blocks. Another left brought
them onto a dead-end street, the taxi taking her to the last house on the
right.

Marilee realized the duplex must be behind this large,
two-story red brick home. She liked the feeling of the extra privacy even
before she’d entered the place.

Getting out of the taxi, Marilee surveyed the street and saw
it was narrow as well as short. The abrupt end of street’s pavement became
steep stairs leading down 75 feet to the mouth of a shallow canyon, then across
several streets towards the downtown area.

Marilee looked out over the steps and her breath caught in
her chest. The view was fantastic. She could see across the city, now somewhat
below her, and to the shorter hills west of the city. The sun, still a little
above the horizon, was close enough to wash the low hills with a beautiful
golden light.

Bringing her view closer once again, Marilee suspected those
stairs would cut substantial time from a trek into town. She’d need to consult her
map to make sure.

Turning, she checked the address on her list with the red
brick house in front of her. They matched. She walked up the pathway and
stepped onto the large porch. Her knock on the heavy wooden door was answered
by a kindly-looking older man who introduced himself as Aaron Brimblecom, the
landlord. The duplex was located in the rear, as she’d hoped.

Mr. Brimblecom escorted Marilee through the narrow alleyway
between his home and the converted grey brick manor-type apartment building
next door. He told her he owned all three buildings. The alleyway they were
walking on was actually a driveway between the buildings, which ended in two
small parking places for the duplex.

The ancient green-trimmed white duplex was tiny, but
appeared in good repair. It was perched on the edge of the hill, and Marilee
suspected the view across the canyon and out over the downtown area would be beautiful.

The west half of the duplex, the side with the best view,
was the one for rent. Charming was the word popping into her mind to describe
this delightful little dwelling. He unlocked the door and ushered her through
the portal.

The whole house looked and smelled clean. Mr. Brimblecom
said both sides of the duplex had been fumigated last month, so it should be
insect-free. He explained the student who’d been living there’d had a family
emergency, so it was immediately available.

The small apartment, including the reasonable rent, offered
dishes and linens besides the furniture, and had been set up for college
students. Marilee decided to take it. She walked with Mr. Brimblecom back to
his home, where he stopped to get the rental agreement and she continued on to
the taxi, paying the driver and retrieving her bags.

She carried them to her new landlord’s porch, where he was
now waiting for her, agreement in hand. Marilee traded a deposit and first
month’s rent for the key and fresh linens, and her thoughtful landlord carried
her bags around to the back and into her living room.

According to Mr. B., she’d need to change the utilities into
her own name and set up her phone service on Monday. He told her where they
were located downtown, then left her to settle in, which she quickly
accomplished with so few belongings.

Walking to the other half of the duplex, she knocked on the
door. It opened just a crack, and part of a freckled face peered out. Marilee
pasted on her best ‘I’m-a-good-guy’ smile and brightly said, “Hi! Is your Mom
home?”

The door didn’t open any further, but the face swung from
side to side. “Huh-uh. No Mom. Just me and Dad.”

“Oh. Sorry. Well, then, is your Dad home?”

The kid’s face split into a grin. “Nope. He’s at work. What’cha
need?”

Marilee’s smile widened into a grin at the boy’s answer. “Well,
what I need is to use your phone. I want to call a taxi so I can do some
shopping. I just moved in next door,” she finished with a gesture at her new
abode.

The door opened only a little wider. The face belonged to a
boy ten or eleven years old, she guessed, with brown hair and eyes. Freckles
dusted his nose and cheeks and he was dressed in denims and a stripped pullover
shirt.

“Well, I’m not supposed to let anybody in the house while
Dad’s gone, but I can bring the phone out on the porch for you to use. You need
the number, too?”

“Yes, please.” Marilee thanked him and he brought the
long-corded phone to the door, a directory under one arm. She noticed his
tennis shoes were well worn, one lace shaggy at the end and sloppily tied. He
delivered the phone and book and then disappeared back into the house.

She perched on the edge of the cold cement porch step while
she arranged for the cab. As soon as she hung up, the door opened once more. To
her surprise, the boy, who had donned his jacket, came out onto the porch and
sat next to her on the step. She handed him the phone and book, with a smile
and another thank you.

He grinned. “No rules against sitting on the porch and
talking to the new neighbor,” he said, his eyes lighting with mischief. “My
name’s Derrek Gilman. What’s yours?”

“Marilee Curtice.” Marilee gave her maiden name. A
transitory hope that Tony wouldn’t think of the name change flitted through her
mind. She cleared her throat and asked, “How old are you?”

“Ten- and-half. I’m in the fifth grade. How old are you?”

Marilee laughed for the first time in weeks. “You’re not
supposed to ask ladies their age, Derrek.” She chuckled at the look on his
face, as he screwed his nose up in disgust at her answer.

“Why not? How am I supposed to find out how old you are if I
can’t ask?”

“It isn’t a proper question. Why do you want to find out how
old I am?” The smile was still on her face. A crafty look came into his eyes
and he ducked his head a little.

“Oh, I was, um, just wondering, that’s all. It’s no big
deal.”

Marilee felt there was more to his answer than she’d been
given, but didn’t want to spoil the mood. They spent the time waiting for her
cab having a nice chat, frequently punctuated with giggles.

When the taxi arrived, she was somewhat reluctant to leave
the engaging youngster. He’d lightened her mood, and it felt good.

They stood and smiled at each other. He then disappeared
into his side of the duplex, taking the phonebook and telephone with him, and
Marilee dashed to hers. She grabbed her purse, locked her door, ran and climbed
into the taxi. She asked for the nearby grocery shopping center Mr. Brimblecom
had told her about.

A smile lit her face as the taxi turned around and drove out
of the driveway. Maybe there
was
life after Tony, and just maybe it
would be pleasant.