The Black Feather (12 page)

She squeezed the receiver and swallowed down the hurt his confession caused.

“You used me as a lure to get them off your back? That’s pretty darn low even for you, Dad,”

“I didn’t want to do it, and it makes me sick that I was forced to use you like that.”

“Well, you’re not the only one who felt sick. I ended up having to dodge bullets again.”

Wendell nearly dropped his phone.

“Oh God! I had no idea that would happen. I wouldn’t have sent you there if I did. I assumed they’d follow you and nothing else. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry is an empty word coming from you. I’m sure you won’t hesitate to use me again to protect your girlfriend.”

“You have a right to feel the way you do, but there are things you don’t understand about all of this.”

“I don’t want to hear any more of your sob story. If you really do have those phones, turn them over to the police. Or did you lie about that, too?”

“They exist; and there’s enough stuff on them to put the Montanes away for the rest of their lives.”

“Then stop procrastinating and mail the phones to Mom and me like you originally planned. We’ll get them to the proper authorities, so we can bring this madness to an end once and for all.”

“I can’t mail one to your mother because I think the man she’s with could be a Montane plant.”

Suzanne sank down onto the bed suddenly feeling very weak. “Oh no. Do you think he’ll hurt her?”

“Not as long as I don’t mail her the phone.”

“Then mail both phones to me, and I’ll take them to the police myself.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, either.”

“Why not?” she demanded. “Are you saying you don’t trust me after all I’ve done for you?”

“On the contrary, you’re one of the few people I do trust. But I’m not so sure about that bodyguard of yours. What do you know about him?”

“Thad? He’s been helping me.”

“Is that so? Who hired him?”

Suzanne hesitated.

“I don’t know. I’ve asked, but he won’t tell me.”

“And that doesn’t bother you? Funny how he just happened to show up right around the time I started my running.”

“Hold on. Are you implying he could be a plant like the guy who’s with Mom?”

“Or a rogue trying to get the money for himself. The Montanes will pay plenty to get my phones. The lure of big money tends to make a person ambitious; and sometimes, the wrong kind of ambition can be dangerous. They’re all liars, honey, no matter what label they use to make people think otherwise. They’re grand manipulators twisting everything to benefit themselves, and they’re very good at it.”

“Not Thad – no way,” Suzanne said, shaking her head.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Why would he bother to save me in the jungle when those men shot at us?”

“He saved you?”

“Yes he did,” she replied with some indignation, feeling the need to defend Thad.

“How do you know if those men weren’t trying to save you from him?”

Twelve

Her father’s words made Suzanne feel like she’d been socked in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Thad, a betrayer? No, he couldn’t be. She’d slept with the man, trusted him with her life, and the lives of the colonel and Nanadoo. Had she exposed her friends and neighbors to what could turn out to be a treachery far worse than what she’d accused her father of doing?

Was she destined to become a pawn for every man she let into her life? The thought sickened her and made her stomach twist into a gut wrenching knot. Rubbing a slender hand across her warm, tingling forehead, Suzanne gently messaged the aching skin. It actually felt feverish. Did Thad fool her with his handsome face, sense of humor, and sexy body? He said he was falling in love with her. Was that another lie? He certainly had a talent for saying whatever he needed her to hear. Was he protecting her? Or could he be using her, as her father suggested?

“I can’t get my brain to accept what you’re saying. I truly believe Thad cares about me. You haven’t witnessed how upset he is whenever I’ve run away from him.”

“Of course he’d be upset. He needs you to get to me. He hasn’t told you who he works for. Don’t you think that would be pertinent information from a bodyguard? God only knows what else he’s keeping from you.”

“I’m not saying I agree with you, but if Thad isn’t on the up and up, what do you suggest I do?”

“Come to me, but don’t tell anyone. I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is that you keep my whereabouts a secret. I’m trusting you with my life and the life of Muriel and her unborn child.”

“Don’t forget it’s your child, too.”

She heard him sputter into the phone.

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“You didn’t contradict me when I called her your girlfriend and you slept together at Nanadoo’s.”

“I slept on the floor. Muriel is not my girlfriend. I’m old enough to be her father for heaven’s sake.”

“Since when has that ever stopped you?”

She held her breath, wondering what he would say. It took him several seconds before he replied.

“Oh, honey. I’ve really been a terrible father to you, haven’t I? It’s no wonder you think of me the way you do. But I want you to know something, Suzanne, and it’s something I should have said to you a long time ago. What I feel for you goes beyond love. It’s difficult for me to express just what I do feel for you. I admire you. I respect you, and I’m in awe of you.”

“How do I know you’re not saying these things just so I’ll help you?”

“I don’t blame you for doubting me because of the way I’ve acted in the past. I’ll understand if you decide not to help me now. But it won’t make me love you any less because I’d rather lose my life than your love.”

Suzanne fully expected him to defend himself, but his surprising reply left her reeling. Tears thickened in her throat and she swallowed several times, unable to speak. A long neglected yearning began to stir inside her. How many times over the years had she imagined hearing her father say he loved her only to be disappointed again and again?

“Why did you wait so long to tell me something I’ve wanted to hear all my life?” she whispered.

“I just took it for granted that you knew. I haven’t any idea how this fix I’m in is going to turn out, and I meant it when I said you can back away if you want. But I won’t lie. I’m hoping you’ll do as I ask, if not for me, then for Muriel’s sake.”

Hearing her father’s concern for the girl irritated Suzanne. She wanted to savor this new-found declaration of his love for her without being forced to share the precious moment with a stranger.

“Why are you putting yourself in such danger to protect her if she’s not your girlfriend, and the child she’s carrying isn’t yours?”

“Guilt. I admit I started taking small sums of money from the Montanes. They hired me to keep their books because they saw I was good with numbers, and I didn’t ask questions about where those numbers came from. They have so much dough I figured they wouldn’t miss some of it.

But Muriel’s boyfriend, Tony got wise to me; he threatened to tell her father, if I didn’t take a huge chunk and give it to them. What I didn’t know at the time was that Caesar Montane wasn’t aware of their relationship; and he had another man picked out for Muriel to marry.”

“He sounds like a real old-fashioned father.”

Wendell snorted into the phone.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. He’s a monster. Makes me look like a saint. Muriel is terrified of him. When she and Tony discovered she was pregnant, that’s when he came up with the idea for me to steal enough money, so they could get away. I, um, decided to take a little extra for myself. I also started gathering as much information as I could about the Montane’s criminal activities as a kind of insurance plan.”

“I understand your motive now. Where’s her boyfriend? Why is she with you instead of him?”

He breathed a heavy sigh into the phone.

“That’s where my guilt comes into this. Caesar caught the three of us sneaking out one night. Tony got shot when he threw his body in front of Muriel and me. How could I not help her when I’m partly responsible for Tony’s death?”

Suzanne found her animosity toward the girl lessening now that she knew the tragic circumstances.

“So you want me to go to you without telling anyone and deliver the phones to the police?”

“Yes. I don’t want to mail them and take the chance they might get lost.”

“I see your point. Will you stay with Muriel once I’ve delivered the goods into safe hands, or do you plan to part ways? I can’t help feeling sorry for her knowing how terrible her father is. Is it possible for you to see her safely settled someplace?”

“Remember I told you I’m going to go to an island and retire there? Well, we’re going to go to St. Kitts in the Caribbean. She has friends there who are willing to help. They hate her father and will do everything they can to keep her safe.”

“Do you trust them enough to believe their protection plan will include you?”

“Yes I do. I got to know Muriel very well while working for the Montanes. She’s a sweet girl who through no fault of her own happened to be born into a rotten family.”

“What about her mother? Where is she in all of this?”

“Dead. Caesar murdered her when he caught her sleeping with one of his so-called associates. But she got off easy, which is more than anyone can say about the guy who was bedding her.”

Suzanne couldn’t stop the chill that ran down her spine at the implication in his words. Her parents may not have given her the fairytale upbringing she wanted, but she’d never felt in danger from them.

The pity she’d begun to feel for Muriel grew and deepened for the unfortunate girl.

“Dewey said he overheard you say you’d be staying with someone named Martinez in San Pedro.”

“We let him think that on purpose. We’re actually in a motel in Long Beach.” He gave her the address and room number. “I’m counting on you, honey. I’m worn out from running, and Muriel isn’t having an easy time of it what with the grief over losing Tony and being pregnant.”

“I’ll do my best, but it’s not going to be easy. Thad barely lets me go to the bathroom without him since I tricked him to go after your canvas bag and again to meet with Dewey.”

“Well, whether or not you can help me, I’d advise you to put as many miles between you and your shadow as soon as you can in case he is in this for his own gain.”

“I’m still not sure you’re right about that, but I’ll do my best for you, so your phones can get to the proper authorities.”

“That’s my girl.”

“Dad, there’s one more thing I need to ask you before we hang up. It’s kind of melodramatic, but some guy shoved a black feather in my hand while I was on the cruise and said it was a warning.”

Wendell groaned.

“You want to watch out for those. It’s the Montane’s calling card. You get one, and you know something bad is going to happen.”

“I had a feeling it was something like that. Someone left another feather on my bed the day I finally got to go home after the cruise, and I’ve run into trouble after each one.”

Something she hadn’t contemplated before suddenly came to her. Thad was on the ship when she got the first feather, and he’d gone into her house ahead of her that first night back. He could have easily left that feather on the pillow. Maybe her father was right to be suspicious about Thad’s motives.

“All right, you win. I’ll start thinking of a way I can leave here.”

“Thank you. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, you’d better not use Dewey again. He’s probably being watched now. Be careful because even your best friends can be your enemy in a situation like this.”

“My friends I trust. It’s the glib talking strangers I should have been more concerned about.”

Suzanne ended the call and stood there staring into space while she went over the conversation.

Everything her father said about Thad’s so-called protecting her made sense now. He had resources; and he used them to plot and orchestrate his every move, so she would let down her guard enough to betray her dad. He’d probably kept her in that Belize jungle house all that time for just that purpose. What about the day they went to lunch with Heather? He could have arranged that car chase to scare her into believing he was the only one who could keep her safe.

He’d seduced her not only with his body, but also with the aura of mystery he cultivated. But what woman wouldn’t be taken in by a handsome, mysterious stranger? It’d be tantamount to waving catnip under her nose, if she happened to be a cat.

Suzanne already knew Thad was an impressive ally. She had a feeling he’d be an even more formidable adversary, which meant she’d have to be very clever to outwit him. The surprising thing was having his own words help her. He accused her of copying his idea to get to her old house the night she went for the green bag. This time she’d use what had happened to Liam and Nanadoo. Drugs.

She suggested the others adjourn to the living room while she prepared the after dinner coffee. She slipped sleeping pills into their cups. She hated having to include Liam and Nesta in this, but didn’t feel an iota of guilt while adding an extra pill to Thad’s cup. He was a big man and she wanted to make sure he stayed knocked out. But even then, he took so long to go completely under she had to rush to get away.

Suzanne waited until they fell into their drug induced sleep before taking all the money from Thad’s wallet. She used Liam’s golf cart and drove to the harbor to catch the last ferry off the island. Leaving Nanadoo and the colonel in such a state filled Suzanne with remorse, which in turn made her anger against Thad intensify. This wasn’t just between him and her. He’d made her hurt people dear to her because of his duplicity.

Thad. Fake friend. Fake lover. Now it was his turn to be on the receiving end of being duped and dumped. Let him see how he liked it.

She stood at the railing of the ferry watching the dark mass of the island grow smaller and smaller, wondering if she would ever be able to trust a man again. She’d taken a bite of an apple that looked perfect on the outside, but had she gone deeper, she would have found decay. Unbidden tears filled her eyes as a testimony to promises made and future dreams lost.

Her ex-fiancé’s disloyalty had damaged her self-confidence.

Thad’s deception felt more like a mutilation of the soul.

The first thing Thad thought when he opened his eyes the next morning was he must be suffering the aftereffects of a very bad hangover. The second thing that registered in his foggy brain was how quiet the house seemed. He sniffed the air and smelled the lingering scent of the vanilla candle Nesta burned last night. But not a hint of coffee aroma or any breakfast food being prepared. He looked outside and could tell by the position of the sun it was much later than he was used to waking up.

Had his hosts both overslept, too? Or could they have decided to go out to eat and didn’t want to wake him. What about Suzanne? He rolled off the sofa and staggered a bit while pulling on his jeans. What the hell was the matter with him? His head pounded, and his mouth and throat felt like he’d swallowed a bucket of sand.

Maybe he was coming down with something. He almost groaned. He didn’t have time to be sick. He made his way to the kitchen and found it empty. He pulled on the hand railing literally dragging himself upstairs to the bedrooms. Since when had climbing a few steps become a trek to Mt. Everest?

Liam came out of his bedroom looking disheveled just as Thad arrived on the landing. Nesta still lay in bed sleeping soundly. The two men greeted each other with a barely perceptible nod.

“I thought I heard someone. Nesta and I must have overslept.” Liam pressed a hand to his forehead. “I have a devil of a headache.”

“That makes two of us. Let me check on Suzanne.”

Thad knocked, opened her door, and peeked inside.

“Her bed’s empty. I’ll check the bathroom.”

He returned to Liam seconds later.

“She’s not here.”

“Perhaps she went for a morning walk. She does that sometimes.”