Reluctant Witness (16 page)

“I have your new phone here. Don’t turn it on
until you get to Atlanta, Marigold. I’ve put in the numbers you’ll
need for contacting us. And we’ve all got your number, too, but
I’ve given each person an alias that I think you’ll recognize. Now,
any questions before you get ready?”

“What do I feed Kary? How much and how
often?”

“I put together a file for your briefcase
with all of Kary’s health information and wrote out the feeding
instructions to make it look like Kary’s vet changed the dog
food.”

“Thanks,” I told her. The little Shih Tzu
heard us talking about him and decided to join us. Putting a paw up
on my knee, he cocked his head this way and that. “I suppose you
want to get up on my lap.”

“Kary has a micro chip, in case he ever gets
lost. You might notice the little lump on the back of his neck.
It’s about the size of a grain of rice, just under the skin.” She
put my index and middle finger on the spot.

“Oh! There it is!”

“All it takes is for someone to run a scanner
on him, and Kary’s information will pop up on the computer
screen.”

“That’s very handy,” I decided.

“It only works if people are ethical,
Marigold, but it means you have a chance to recover him if he
wanders away from you.”

“In that case, I’ll make sure he
doesn’t.”

“All that’s left now is for you to pack.”

Heading upstairs, I got busy. I opened the
closet door and took down the new clothes hanging on the rod
inside. With the pair of scissors from the guest room desk drawer,
I carefully removed each of the tags, thinking how different this
wardrobe was from my last. When you’re in the party business,
people expect a little glitz and lots of glamour. But now I was to
be Susan Langforth, pharmaceutical sales rep, focused on making my
way up the career ladder. The colors were more somber and
business-like. I laid out my outfit for the day on the bed and then
I folded and packed what remained, placing each item in the new
suitcase Jojo bought me. Once that was done, I relaxed a little,
mentally preparing myself for the day’s events and my journey to
Atlanta. Pondering the unknown, I spent the next half hour having a
long, relaxing bath, careful not to soak my stitches. It was the
first time since I had been shot that I dared to scrub my body with
soap and water. I was fairly certain that no killer would burst,
gun in hand, and try to finish the job while I lingered in the
tub.

What would Georgia in
January be like? I had never been to the peach state. I knew the
city was a popular destination, both for tourist and transplant. As
a cultural city, it had potential; I had no doubt that if I were to
start a party planning firm there, I could probably be a great
success within a year or so. I’d start by building my contacts
list, getting to know the venues, the caterers, the local musicians
and disc jockeys.
Hold on, Marigold! You’re
only setting yourself up for more disappointment. Have you
forgotten what happened?

Chapter Fifteen

With a deep sigh of disappointment, I shook
myself back to reality. Things had changed the moment Tovar was
shot before my eyes at the Gilded Nest. Life as I had known it in
Lake Placid had vaporized. My ever-changing routine was about to do
yet another one-eighty when I stepped off that plane. I had no clue
what I was getting into or how it would turn out. The only thing I
knew for sure was that a ten-pound singing Shih Tzu was to be my
travel companion. If Kary didn’t accompany me, would I even have
the courage to make the journey? I didn’t think so.

This crazy world of witness protection was
beginning to catch up to me. All I really wanted was the chance to
settle myself in a place I could call home for the next ten years
and put down some roots that would flourish with time. I wanted to
build new friendships and feel like I belonged somewhere. It wasn’t
my fault I had to go into WitSec. I wasn’t the criminal. And yet, I
always seemed to be the one being punished for it. How could I take
this journey and make it work for me, Marigold Flowers?

Hold on there. Aren’t you forgetting
something? You’ve only been Marigold since you moved to Lake
Placid. Before that, you were Margot. At least that was the name
that Jared called you. It’s been a long time since you’ve used your
birth name. You’re like a songbird on the wing, always on the move,
always vulnerable. One of these days, the wind will prove to be
your undoing. That little bit of air turbulence will prove too much
for you. Your wings will fold and you’ll come crashing back to
Earth.

It was true. I was never able to be the real
me with the people in my world. Jared and I had never even gotten
to the point in our relationship that I shared my real identity
with him. It was too classified. Shaun, Tovar, and Eve insisted
that Jared wouldn’t be fully briefed until after he signed all the
paperwork, something that never happened. Shaun confided in me
after the meeting, sharing his concerns that Jared wasn’t really
taking my security seriously.

“Marigold, I’m not trying to bust your chops,
but the guy seems a little fishy to me. He’s not acting like a man
in love, concerned about the potential danger for you. If you ask
me, he’s just a little too cocky.”

But I hadn’t asked the marshal, had I? I
bristled at the notion that Jared was not worthy of being briefed
about the situation. After all, he was an international business
traveler, a man with his thumb in many pies, with a bank account
that just kept growing with his successful investments. Why would
the US Marshal Service think that Jared would be willing to go into
witness protection with me, subject to relocation at the drop of a
hat? He had businesses to run. He had an established life and a
reputation to maintain. I much preferred the offer of protection
Jared made me. At least I’d be able to live a fairly normal
life.

It wasn’t as if Shaun had any evidence Jared
wasn’t what he claimed to be. Maybe if it had been my old WitSec
handler telling me this, I’d have listened. But I hadn’t been in
Rhode Island all that long, nor did I know Shaun, Tovar, or Eve all
that well. I wanted to believe that love would find a way. And I
did believe it, right up until the moment I found his bloody body
on the floor by the chair. In an instant, the dream was gone.

A couple of times, after I moved to Lake
Placid, I came close to touching hope once more, but that vanished
too. The minute I felt a man was interested in me, my heart froze
up and I grew rigid. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing another
one. I began to think that love was no longer an option on the
table. I was doomed to spend what was left of my life always
looking over my shoulder, all because of the research my
grandfather and father had done. Should I blame them for what
happened? How could I? All they had ever wanted was to use their
knowledge as botanists to make the world a healthier place. How
could we have ever guessed that my grandfather’s plant experiments
would ever create such madness?

We are victims of family history, tied to
our genealogical roots. Whether we like it or not, people hold us
accountable for our ancestors, even if we never had a chance to
choose the paths they took.

There was a change in me, though, one I
couldn’t deny. It started when I found myself taken seriously by
the New York State Police. Inspector Vidal, Philomena, and Jackson
Cornwall all seemed to have my best interests at heart. They were
willing to look into my case, to believe there was more to the
story than meets the eye. It was the first time since I could
remember where outsiders knew my story and didn’t seem to think I
got what I deserved.

But it was the moment I met Lincoln when a
part of me began to believe there might be a way out of this mess.
Was it just that he was a lawman with a gun and he was acting his
part as my personal protector, ready to rescue the damsel in
distress, as Jojo and Tom suggested? Or did we have something more,
something worth pursuing? It was hard to deny the attraction I
felt. That spark between us seemed to glow brightly at unexpected
moments, before it flickered out as Lincoln wrestled with his past.
I couldn’t ignore the reality that he was still Deirdre’s to
command; as long as he couldn’t let her go, I’d never have a
chance.

Maybe I should be content to indulge in a
harmless fantasy, one we would never act upon, one that could never
hurt either of us; wishful thinking without the risk. Maybe it was
enough for now to hope that there was someone out there for me, as
Jojo had said, because I would begin the search to find the elusive
love. The heart’s a funny thing, with a mind of its own. It wants
what it wants, and when it begins to stir, to awaken, all that
slumbering passion and desire comes alive in a powerful way.

Or was it the Cornwall men and their sense of
duty, of honor, that made me feel somehow safer? If I had met only
one of them, I might think it a fluke that such a good man really
existed; but two? Two made me believe miracles were possible. What
would three do for me, be the charm? I’d know soon enough. In
another couple of hours, I would meet Jefferson.

Toweling off, I drenched myself in body
lotion and let it soak in before slipping into my underwear. Today
was the day I would abandon the gauze bandage over my ear, in favor
of the soft purple cotton headband Jojo got me from Athleta, a
little shop on Market Street that sold clothes for yoga workouts.
It was just wide enough to cover my ears and hide the angry scar,
my permanent reminder of the bullet that struck me in Windham.

Kary was waiting for me just outside the door
when I emerged from the bathroom. Dressing in my new black trousers
and white blouse, I fastened all the buttons and then I slipped my
arms into the purple jacket. The matching purple pumps were
comfortable on my feet. Admiring myself in the mirror, I decided I
could probably give Deirdre a run for the money, especially once my
damaged ear healed and I could shampoo my hair. At the moment,
though, I really couldn’t complain. The headband did a nice job of
hiding the unsightly wound, and it was comfortable enough to be a
useful hair accessory. Pulling out my new makeup case, I took
myself back into the bathroom and got to work on my game face. Kary
joined me.

“Why in the world am I thinking of that
woman?” I demanded of my canine companion. “How ridiculous is that?
Why should it matter that I’m as attractive as Deirdre? Oh, look
who I’m asking. Do you miss her?”

Kary didn’t answer, other than to plop down
on the thick bath mat and curl up. Apparently, I was interrupting
his naptime.

A soft knock alerted me to Jojo’s arrival.
She came into the bedroom bearing gifts. “Marigold, are you
decent?”

“Just finishing my makeup,” I called out. “Be
right there.”

“Can’t wait to see how you look,” she
replied. As I stepped out and pirouetted, taking three strides
before each turn, she nodded approvingly. “Perfect. No one will
think there’s anything wrong with the ear. And actually, you look
very chic.”

“
It’s a little more
sophisticated and subdued than I’m used to,” I admitted, “but I
like it.”

“Good. That means you’ll carry yourself well.
It’s all about the attitude, Marigold.” She handed me a pair of
reading glasses in a contemporary purple pattern, along with a
glasses case. “Put these on. They’re the lowest power I could find,
so you can wear them continually.”

I slipped them on carefully, avoiding my
stitches. Would I be able to keep them on throughout the
flight?

“I put a small foam pad on the earpiece, to
keep the plastic away from your injury. Do you think you can manage
for a few hours?”

“I guess I’ll have to, Jo. They do make me
look more like a businesswoman, don’t they?” I checked out my
reflection in the dresser mirror. “Nerdy in a smart girl kind of
way.”

“Indeed. Now, here are a few more things to
pack.” She offered me a couple of paperback mysteries, holding up a
copy of The Secret of White Jasmine by Serena Duvall. “I loved this
one. Very exotic and romantic, but it won’t give you
nightmares.”

“I’ll take it,” I laughed.

The dog paraphernalia for Kary went into my
suitcase, including all of the dog dishes, kibble and even some
toys. She put a new laptop and several thick file folders into the
new pink briefcase. She held up one folder to show me.

“This is Kary’s paperwork for the flight.
He’s got his Delta doggie boarding pass, the health certificate
from his vet, and his micro chip info, in case he gets loose. I
also have your papers right here.” She showed me my printed
boarding pass with the digital code before tucking it in with the
other pages. “I marked the folder ‘airline’, Marigold.”

“That makes it easy for me. Thanks,
Jojo.”

“One last thing,” she said, reminding me
again about the importance of not turning the phone on until I was
officially inside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“Don’t be tempted to use it to check the flight status or anything
else.”

“Can I ask why?”

“You’re only Susan Langforth for the next few
hours, Marigold. Once you get to Atlanta, you’re going to get a new
identity, and I want this phone,” she held up the HCT One, “only to
be associated with your new identity. The same holds true for your
laptop. Got it?”

“Got it,” I nodded. “Who am I going to
be?”

I admit I was curious about my new name. In a
way, I would be sad to see Marigold Flowers disappear. If I had to
start over again, I was eager to learn as much as I could about the
person I was about to become.

“You’ll find out when you get to where you’re
going and not a moment sooner,” she smiled patiently. “Better that
you don’t know until we’re sure you’re safe. Do you have a watch or
would you like one from my collection?”