Double Identity (4 page)

She shook her head. “No way. It was probably an older person who got their foot caught on the accelerator. Or a teenager texting. Or whatever.”

“Sophie.” His grim expression and the way he dragged out the syllables in her name told her he wasn’t buying her explanations.

Dread oozed up her spine. First her father disappeared. Then she found out his identification papers were fake—then hers turned out to be phony, too. Now this. Sophie didn’t have a clue what was going on but none of it felt good.

“I’m not trying to frighten you,” Cain said and walked with her outside.

Really? You’re doing a pretty good job of it.

“I saw a man dash for his car when he saw you. He accelerated when you stepped into the street. There was nothing random or accidental about it.”

Maybe if she closed her eyes really tight she’d wake up and find out this had been a terrible nightmare. Sophie squeezed her eyes shut, counted to five and then slowly opened them. Nope. Still Main Street. Still Cain standing there with that worried look on his face. She hadn’t been dreaming. But, boy, she wished she had.

“Your father’s letter said he left to keep you safe.” The soft, low tenor of Cain’s voice soothed her. “But I bet you don’t feel very safe these days, do you? Something is happening and I want to help you get to the bottom of it.”

She locked eyes with him. “You’ve changed your mind? You’re going to help me?”

Cain grinned. “I never said I wasn’t going to help you. I said that I didn’t think I
could
help you. Face it, you haven’t given me a lot to go on. But I never said I wouldn’t try.”

Sophie nodded and hung her head.

He gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze and her heart skipped a beat. Why’d he have to be so kind? It didn’t hurt that he was good-looking, too. How was she supposed to think straight if her heart took silly little jumps every time he looked her way?

“Considering what happened today, we’re going to have to try harder to find a place to start looking.” Cain glanced up and down the street. “Your father was right, Sophie. You’re in danger. The question is, why?”

THREE

T
he diner looked like something right out of a 1950s magazine, black-and-white tile floor, red vinyl booths, red covered stools at the counter and polished chrome everywhere. Small jukeboxes graced the tables and stood at attention at marked intervals along the speckled counter top. The steady hum of quiet conversations mingled in the air with competing strands of music from the jukeboxes. Sophie paused for a moment and looked around. It must be close to lunchtime. The place was packed. As the tantalizing aroma of home cooking wafted in the air, she knew why. Her mouth watered like she was a participant in a Pavlov experiment.

“Over here,” Holly yelled, waving them to the counter. “I’ve saved a couple of seats. We can talk while you eat.”

Sophie weaved her way through several people waiting for seats. Normally, she would have been kinder and waited her turn in line but not today. Today it was every man—or woman, as the case may be—for themselves. She hadn’t eaten since lunchtime yesterday. One glance at the huge burgers and home-cut fries at the booth beside her gave her the incentive to move faster as she whispered, “Sorry,” and elbowed her way to the counter. She plopped down on the stool Holly had reserved for her. Seconds later Cain slid in beside her.

“Wow! This place really does a business.” Sophie glanced around the crowded diner and smiled at Holly.

“Some people say we’re packed because the food is fantastic. Others say it’s because we’re the only diner in town.” Holly laughed. “I don’t care what the reason. I’m just happy they come. Now, what can I get for you?”

“I’ll take a burger and fries,” Sophie replied. “With lettuce, tomato and onion.”

“And to drink?”

Before she could answer, Cain said, “I’ll order the same and you can bring us a couple of large chocolate shakes.” When Holly hurried away, he leaned his elbow on the counter and swung to face her. “This diner has the best chocolate shakes—and the best charbroiled burgers—and on Tuesdays we serve fabulous pot roast dinners…”

“And apple pie. Don’t forget you told me this place serves the best apple pie.”

Cain laughed. “Okay, I admit I probably sound like a bad advertisement for fast food. But I dare you to finish your meal and not smack your lips.”

Sophie grinned. “No way. I’m not stupid. I looked at the food on the way in and I’m not taking that bet. Those burgers are so thick I’m wondering how I’m going to open my mouth wide enough to take a bite.”

“Believe me, you’ll find a way.”

Holly placed two glasses of water and silverware in front of them and disappeared again before Sophie could do more than blink.

Cain leaned closer so he could be heard above the hum of other conversations and the beats of music. “I’ve been thinking about your situation. There’s got to be something you’re overlooking. An old letter. Something in the background of a picture. A name. Date. Something.”

Sophie shrugged. “I can’t imagine what it would be. I’ve spent the past two weeks searching for clues and I keep coming up empty.”

Cain reached over and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

When his fingertips slid across her skin, her heart pounded so hard she thought it would leap right out of her chest. She sat perfectly still, not daring to break the welcome contact or even to breathe.

“This has been a tough day for you.” His eyes looked like pools of dark chocolate and all Sophie could think about was how much she liked desserts.

“Coming through. Hot stuff here.” Holly slid two platters overflowing with food in front of them. “Let the girl get some food in her empty stomach, Romeo. Make your moves later.”

Cain’s expression darkened like an incoming storm. “You can be a real pain. You know that?”

Holly grinned. “What’s a kid sister for? Be back in a sec with your shakes.”

Sophie blinked in surprise when Cain clasped her hand, bowed his head and offered a quiet blessing. When he looked up, he grinned and said, “Go ahead. Dig in. And tell me if you don’t think that’s the best burger you’ve ever tasted.”

Sophie didn’t need a second invitation.

They sat in companionable silence enjoying their meal.

A short while later Sophie pushed back her empty platter and patted her stomach. “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing. I’m so stuffed I can hardly breathe.”

“And?” he prompted.

“And I have to admit it was the best burger I’ve ever eaten.”

Cain laughed. “Told you so.”

Holly cleared the dirty dishes and was back in a flash. She propped her elbows on the counter and said, “So, spill. I want to hear every nasty detail. Girl, what have you done to get someone mad enough to try and run you down?”

Cain and Sophie took turns filling her in on the little information they had.

“Wow,” Holly said when they’d finished bringing her up to date. “I don’t know what’s spookier—not knowing what happened to your dad—or waking up one morning not knowing who you are.”

Sophie grimaced. Holly had honed in on exactly what was eating her up inside. It was bad enough she didn’t know what had happened to her father. But her father was strong, sensible. She had faith that he’d be able to take care of himself.

But, as for the rest…

How could she explain how it felt to have spent twenty-two years believing you were one person only to find out you were somebody else? Worse. Not knowing who that somebody else was? Was Sophie even her name? Maybe she was Carol or Jennifer or maybe Nancy. She played with the names in her mind. None of them felt like a fit.

And what if her father wasn’t even her father? After all, his papers were fake. Maybe he was a fake. Maybe they weren’t related at all.

A wave of pain washed over her. No. He was her father. He had to be her father. She wouldn’t be able to love him so deeply, miss him so terribly if he weren’t her father, would she?

Where was he?

Sophie agonized over the events of the past two weeks. Question after question and not one single answer. She felt like she was starring in a science fiction movie. And she hated science fiction. Any second now she expected to stand in front of a mirror and see a different face—a different woman—an image she’d never seen before.

“Sophie?”

The deep, resonant sound of Cain’s voice pulled her thoughts back to the present.

“You okay?” Lines of concern creased his brow and drew deep frown lines at the edges of his mouth.

“Sure.” She smiled at both Cain and Holly. “Lunch was great. Thanks.” Cain raised an eyebrow and Sophie laughed. “Okay, it was more than great. It was the best!” The three of them chuckled. “But I really should be getting home.”

Before Sophie could rise someone jostled her elbow. “Hi, little lady.” Sophie turned her attention to the grizzled, disheveled man standing at her left elbow. “You must be new in town. I’ll admit I’m gettin’ up in years but these here eyes of mine still appreciate the sight of a pretty gal when I see one. And I’m seeing one now.”

“Hey, Charlie,” Holly said

“Charlie.” Cain nodded in the old man’s direction. His tone had been polite but Sophie couldn’t help but notice a subtle tensing of his posture. She sensed Cain wasn’t very fond of good old Charlie.

Sophie looked into pale, watery-blue eyes peeking out from beneath bushy white brows. His skin, leathered from weather and age, looked almost reptilian. His teeth, what few he still had, were yellow and stained, from years of tobacco use, Sophie suspected—smoking or chewing she couldn’t be sure.

“So introduce yourself, little lady. I know I haven’t seen you around town.”

“My name’s Sophie.”

“That right?” He swayed back and forth, rocking on the heels of old, worn boots. “Just passing through or planning to stay awhile?”

The strong scent of alcohol wafted her way and Sophie began to feel uncomfortable.

“I…I’m planning on staying…for a little while anyway.” Sophie smiled at the old man and tried to subtly move out of the line of alcohol breath.

“Charlie, you met the young lady. Now why don’t you sit down over there and Holly will bring you a cup of coffee?”

Charlie ignored Cain. “You wouldn’t be the gal I heard is staying in the old Weatherly place, would ya?”

Sophie nodded. “Yes. The cottage belonged to my grandfather and I’ll be staying there for a little while.”

Charlie’s whole demeanor changed. Instead of the overly friendly, tipsy man she’d been talking to just moments before, she found herself staring into cold, angry eyes.

“You tellin’ me you’re Elizabeth Weatherly’s young’un?”

Sophie, surprised by the abrupt and hostile change in the man’s demeanor, merely nodded.

“Your grandfather was a friend of mine. My best friend. We used to go fishin’ out at the old pond all the time.” The man stepped closer.

Cain sprang to his feet. “C’mon, Charlie. Go sit down and have some coffee. I’ll even throw in a slice of Holly’s apple pie…on me. What do you say?”

Spittle ran down the man’s whiskered chin as he spat out his words. “Your mama broke my friend’s heart. He was never the same after she run off. Never.”

Cain stepped between the two of them. “Charlie, don’t make me have to ask you to leave. Go sit down. Now.” His lowered voice and stern, no-nonsense tone brought chills up on her arms. She had a glimpse of what Cain must have been like when he was a cop, and she was glad she wasn’t a criminal on the receiving end of his wrath. Silence fell over the diner as the other patrons watched the scene unfolding before them.

“Do you know who this is?” Charlie yelled, flailing his arms and looking around at the people in the surrounding booths. “This is George Weatherly’s no-good kin. The daughter of the brat who ran off and broke his heart.”

“That’s it. You’re out of here.” Cain grabbed the man’s belt and heaved him toward the exit.

“We don’t want your kind in this town, missy,” he yelled as Cain lifted him through the doorway. “You hear me? We don’t want you in our town.”

Sophie couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she shot furtive glances around the room and saw people staring at her and whispering.

“Don’t worry about old Charlie.” Holly patted her hand. “Every town has its drunk and Charlie’s ours. Don’t pay attention to anything he says.”

Sophie glanced from side to side. Whenever she made eye contact with the other diners, the people looked away. She didn’t really understand what had just happened. She only knew that the entire incident made her feel embarrassed, ashamed and dirty.

She buried her head in her hands. How could this day get any worse?

A strong hand cupped her shoulder. “You’ve had enough excitement for one day. Why don’t I take you home?”

Emptiness filled her insides when his hand moved away. She longed for the comfort. She longed for someone to hold her and tell her that all this craziness would disappear and everything would soon be back to normal. If anything would ever be normal again.

“We’ll sit down tomorrow morning,” Cain said as he led her to his car, “after you’ve had a good night’s sleep, and we’ll talk it all out.”

Sophie was amazed at how easy and comfortable she felt with this man.

Maybe he’d be able to help her after all. Her father had taught her God never closes a door without opening another one. Sophie had prayed so hard for someone to help her find her father, to help her solve the puzzle of his disappearance and maybe even discover her true identity. Was Cain an answer to her prayers?

She stared at his profile, the firm set to his jaw, the perfect line of his nose. A hunk of errant hair refused to stay in place and fell on his forehead, drawing attention to his newly blackened eye, which came from his earlier superhero rescue. This morning he had been nothing more than a name in a church business directory. This afternoon he was not only the man who had saved her life but a man who was quickly becoming a friend.

The miles flew by and Sophie was surprised when the car pulled to a stop. Cain shut the engine off, hurried around and opened her door. She tried not to laugh. When was the last time anyone had held a car door open for her? Duh, never.