Step Into My Parlor (9 page)

She nodded.

"I knew they should be put in a secure place, so I decided to take them to the bank and rent a safety-deposit box. It was too late to do it that evening, so I was going to do it the first thing the next morning. Then it occurred to me that I needed to make copies. I looked through the yellow pages and found a copy shop that would be open late, so
I went out. I was about to get
i
n my car when somebody shot at me. If, just at that moment. I hadn't dropped my keys and bent to pick them up, I'd be dead. I jumped in the car and drove away. A second shot shattered the rear glass."

"Oh, darlin'." Spider laid his cheek on the top of her head and hugged her to him. "I won't let them find you. You're safe here with me."

"Oh, Lord I hope so, but I can't stay here forever. And Preston or his men always seem to find me." She threaded her fingers through the hair on his chest, taking comfort from his strength and the steady beat of his heart.

"After I left Norfolk, I drove to someplace in North Carolina and spent the night. While my car window was being replaced, I remembered a friend who lived in Raleigh and called her. Marmi insisted that I come to her house. She sounded a bit strange, but I decided I was being paranoid and drove to Raleigh that afternoon.

"Thankfully, I had the good sense to be cautious. I left my car in a lot and took a taxi. The driver must have thought I was crazy, but I insisted he circle the block twice. The second time around I noticed a car parked down the street with two men in it. One of them I recognized as a man who worked for Preston. I knew then I couldn't trust anybody. Preston must have called everyone in my address book."

"Surely, darlin', you had friends who wouldn't have been taken in by that slimeball."

"I've never been a gregarious person
,
Spider. I've never had as many friends as you.
Acquaintances
, yes, but, with my mother's Illness and my work, social time was limited. But I did think I had a few good friends, until I found myself in desperate need of one. I considered Meg a friend. Yet she believed Preston over me."

He tipped her chin and looked into her eyes. "I'm your friend, sugar. You can count on me for now and always." He smiled. "Believe it."

"I do."

Hugging her close again, he said, "Tell me the rest of it."

She settled against his chest and stared off into space as she remembered her frantic flight. "Thinking I could lose myself in the city, I spent the night in a small town in South Carolina and drove to Atlanta the next day. I checked into a hotel, bought clothes, and tried to figure out what to do. Finally, I decided I'd be safer in Europe, so I booked a flight, stored my car, and went to the airport. Somebody shot at me again as I was getting out of the taxi."

"My God, darlin', you must have been terrified!"

"I was, but I think the taxi driver was even more frightened. I ducked back inside, and he took off with the door still open."

"How did they find you?"

"I didn't figure that out until I had picked up my car and was halfway to Birmingham. Credit cards. Naive fool that I was, I'd left a trail a child could follow. Hotels, restaurants, dress shops, gas stations, the airline—everywhere. I charged things. Even for phone calls, I used my credit card. And for someone with Preston's resources, access to
computer records is simple." She slapped her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Spider stilled her hand and brought it up to kiss its palm. "Darlin', you weren't stupid. You were an honest person who'd never had a reason to think about devious tricks or hiding out. At least you caught on before they found you."

She nodded. "I had some traveler's checks and a little cash, but I knew it wouldn't last long. Then I remembered Vicki. I hadn't seen her for years before we ran into each other in France last fall, but I knew immediately that she was the perfect person to help me. I started for Houston. Keeping off the major highways and spending nights in small towns, I zigzagged my way here. But Vicki wasn't home, my money had run out
,
and you know the rest."

"Sugar, you've been very brave." He kissed the top of her head, stroked her arm, and said. "I don't think we should wait for Vicki. I think we should call the authorities right now. I have a friend in the DA's office who—"

"No!" she cried, pulling away and looking at him with pleading eyes. "You don't understand. I can't trust anybody! You can't believe the people Preston controls."

"Babe, I know he's scared hell out of you, but it can't be that bad." A smiling hint of patronization shaded his tone. "Surely—"

"Damn it. Spider Webb, listen to me! You haven't seen what's in that briefcase! Even if I could trust
the police, I dare not let the files be seen by just anyone."

"Sugar—"

"Damn it, I said, don't you condescend to me!"

She scrambled out of the bed and stalked to the organ. Using both hands, she tugged at the scarred instrument, trying to move it away from the wall.

Spider bounded from the bed. "Here, sugar, let me do that."

She glared at him and lifted her nose.
“
I’ll
do it, thank you very much."

Putting her whole body into it, she yanked and tugged and pulled until the organ rolled away from the wall. She knelt in front of the safe and put her hand on the dial. But she was so angry that she couldn't remember the combination. At that moment she'd have sooner eaten worms than have asked for Spider's help. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. The numbers wouldn't come.

"You need some help?"

"I can't remember the combination."

"You want me to do it?"

She ground her teeth together. "Just wipe that smug look off your face and give me the numbers."

When the safe was open, she clutched the briefcase to her bosom and marched back to the bed, with Spider dogging her trail. He held back the covers and she climbed in. He climbed in beside her. She scooted over so that they didn't touch. He put his arm around her and dragged her back.

Keeping her spine very straight, she opened the briefcase and pulled out several of the files. She
thrust them at him and said, "Read. Many of the names you'll recognize. Those you don't,
I’ll
identify. The one on top is a key member of the Cabinet."

His eyes widened. "As in Washington?"

She nodded.

For several minutes, only the rustle of pages and an occasional profane expletive from Spider broke the silence of the room.

"Who is this?" He held up a page.

She leaned over and read the name. "Federal
judge."

'And this?"

"Wife of a senator from the Midwest. And the next one is a member of the Federal Reserve Board. All of the people in the files, or a close family member, hold pos
itions of great power and influence.”

Spider let out a whistle and leaned back against the brass headboard. "I don't need to read any more. I already feel like a Peeping Tom. This is heavy stuff. Some of these folks could go to prison."

Anne nodded. "Or be publicly disgraced. Preston was very thorough. He must have been collecting information for years and using my family's money to do it. He's been blackmailing some very important people. Oh, I suspect he exacted his tribute in political favors and information instead of money, but I have no doubt he was using this Information for blackmail. Imagine the scandal for our government if all this came out at once. There could be tremendous repercussions."

"Sugar, somebody needs to know about this. And Preston belongs
in
jail."

"I know that, but I can't just walk up to the White House and knock on the door. I dare not go to the FBI. And at least one of Preston's victims is highly placed in the Justice Department."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to wait for Vicki. She's a very bright attorney, honest to a fault, and her father is an ex-senator who is a close friend of the President. They'll know how to handle this."

Spider stuffed the files back in the briefcase. "No wonder you were so scared, sugar. You were in a hell of a spot."

"It frightens me just to think about all of it again."

"
I’ll
put these back in the safe. And then," he said with a wicked grin, "
I’ll
see what I can do to take your mind off it."

For the next several days Spider did everything he could to keep her mind off Preston and danger. He succeeded.

Sometimes with friends, sometimes alone, they went to movies, the zoo, a basketball game, and he even took her to a museum or two and swore that he wasn't bored. At night they made love and slept close together in his big brass bed. But he barely let her out of his sight. It was difficult even to go to the bathroom without Spider tagging along. She couldn't as much as start to open a
jar
of pickles without him grabbing it out of her hand and doing it for her.

While she appreciated his concern for her safety, and while she was growing fonder of him each day, his solicitude did sometimes rankle a bit. When she tried to talk to him about it, he'd drawl, "Ah, sugar, I like to spoil you," and kissed her until she forgot her arguments.

About midmorning of the end of her second week in Houston, both of them were in the shop. The Parlor was busy. It seemed that everybody in town had seen his Cupid commercial and had come in. Spider was writing a pawn ticket for a customer who was hocking his shotgun, and Anne was showing the Ert
é
bronze to a potential buyer, a referral from one of the galleries.

"I think this is just the thing for my wife's birthday, little lady. How much?"

When she told him the price, he whipped out his checkbook. In less than five minutes, she'd made a sale. When the man left carrying the statuette, Anne waved the check at Spider. He grinned and winked.

She was feeling really good about herself. With the sales commission from the jade censer, the prayer rug
,
and the Meissen clock, she had paid Spider every penny she owed him and gotten her watch out of hock. He hadn't wanted to be repaid, but she'd insisted. She even had money in her new bank account. Not bad for someone who had only twenty-eight cents when she'd arrived in Houston.

The next thing she wanted to do was find her
own transportation. Of course
,
Spider took her anywhere she wanted to go, but it wasn't the same as having her own car. She couldn't afford to buy one, but she could rent
o
ne for the week or so before Vicki came home.

Turk announced another customer, and she looked up to see the delivery boy from the florist next door. He was carrying a huge arrangement of pink roses and baby's breath.

"Flowers for you, ma'am." He set the vase on the display case, tipped his cap, and grinned.

"For me?"

"Yes, ma'am. I hope you enjoy them," he said and left.

She reached for the card.
Happy Valentine's Day to my sweetie,
it said.
Love, Spider.
She thought of him in his cupid costume and laughed out loud.

"It looks like you have an admirer," a voice said.

Anne glanced up from the card and recognized the gray-haired lady in her mink stole. She smiled. "Hello, Mrs. Bremmer. May I help you with something?"

"Oh no, dear, I'm just browsing." She leaned over to smell the roses. "Lovely, just lovely. You and Spider make such a nice couple."

The "little woman patted Anne's hand and wandered away. Anne looked for Spider, but he wasn't in sight. Smiling, she picked up the vase, breathed in the sweet fragrance of the roses, and carried the arrangement to her room. Pink roses were her favorites.

Placing them on the writing table, she stepped
back to admire the bouquet. Strong arms wrapped around her middle and drew her back against a body she'd come to know intimately. Spider leaned over her shoulder to nibble her ear.

"You like the posy?"

"Mmmmm," she said as he nibbled lower. "Very much. Thank you."

"How about you put on your fancy dress tonight, and well go somewhere classy for dinner."

"I'd love to." She tilted her head as his mouth did wonderful things to the side of her neck.

"Can you think of any way we can kill time until then?"

She laughed. "Why is it that I suspect you already have something in mind?"

"Psychic?"

"Hardly. But I'm going to have to take a rain check. Lisa is picking me up for lunch, and we're going shopping."

"You going to get me a valentine?"