A Fair to Die For (13 page)

“Yes. My father was one of the undercover narcotics officers said to be of questionable integrity, though that was never confirmed before he disappeared. After? He was gone, but the smudge against his name remained.”

“Ahh, you know much more than you told us. And how did you learn it?”

She turned to face him again. “Because I’m part of the system, Henry. I worked as an administrative assistant in the Department of Justice. I didn’t lie when I said I was retired, or that I did research and wrote speeches for people in government, but the job I held most recently, and for many years, was with the Drug Enforcement Administration, an arm of DOJ since 1973. I retired from that job three years ago, but recently I’ve been doing a bit of work as a confidential source for them, mainly because—having acquired the status of senior citizen—I don’t look like an agent.”

Henry knew laughing wasn’t at all appropriate but he laughed anyway. “You mean like Emily Polifax in the novels by Dorothy Gilman? Carrie loves those, and I’ve enjoyed listening to a couple of them as recorded books when we’re in the car.”

“Yes, pretty much like that, except I don’t work for the CIA.” Now she smiled too, but the smile disappeared a couple of seconds later.

“Henry, I see those two guys. ”

This time his brain clicked into action immediately. “I guess they got tired of waiting for you. Have they seen you yet?”

“I don’t think so, they just turned onto one of the sections of trail running parallel to this about fifty yards away. Your body is shielding me from their view.”

“Put on your wig quickly, and don’t be surprised at what I do.”

As soon as the dark curls were in place, he took her in his arms.

Murmuring into the prickly curls, he said, “Tell me now why they’re looking for you and who they are.”

“I don’t know, I—don’t—know.”

She lifted her face and he bent his head as if he were kissing her. Would this pose seem plausible to those men? After all, he and Edie didn’t exactly fit the image of young lovers using a private place for a quick interlude. But, maybe with that wig . . . and Edie’s face was hidden against his chest now. Older man, young bimbo?

He heard their shoes crunching on the gravel behind him, and still keeping his body between them and Edie, he turned to look over his shoulder, following the look with a growled “This area is taken guys, buzz off.”

“You seen a woman with dyed blond hair around here?”

“Nope, haven’t seen or heard anyone but me and Phyllis. Like I said, buzz off. Go find your blond somewhere else.” He moved away from Edie a couple of inches, took one arm from her back, and gave his pants an obvious tug, as if settling them in a more convenient location. While he was doing this, she managed to unfasten the beige slacks and let them drop around her feet. She uttered an exaggerated gasp as they fell, and, without thinking, he bent his knees slightly, preparing to retrieve them for her.

It took only a second for him to realize she had entered into the charade, had meant for the slacks to fall, and his responding movement only added to the reality of their pretend activities.
Oh
,
crap
.

Edie lifted her arms from his waist to around his neck, pulled his head down, and the kiss he had pretended became real.

He wanted more than anything to jerk his head back, but stayed where he was as heavy footsteps crunching gravel came closer. Then the second man said, “We’re only half way around this trail, come on, let lover boy alone. We’re wasting time. She’s probably up ahead.”

As soon as he heard that, Henry turned his head to break the kiss, but held the rest of the pose for several minutes, occasionally moving as if to touch or caress, while thinking the responding moves by Edie were more personal than necessary.

Then, at last, the footsteps faded away.

His reaction to the appearance of the two men, and the desire to protect this woman by acting out a scene he had played as a disguise in years past, had been automatic. But now he felt only disgust with himself, and, as soon as he thought it was safe, he pulled completely away from her.

“Leave that wig on while we go to my car. If there is any evidence those two guys are around there, we’ll have to leave yours in the lot.”

“Yes.” She re-fastened her slacks, then put her arm around his waist as they walked along the path. Knowing it was safest, he rested his own arm on her shoulders.

“Are you going to tell Carrie about the scene we just played?”

He kept moving along the path with her, but let his words express the distaste he felt. “What I discuss with my wife is none of your business, and right now I am feeling only regret for that scene, necessary though it may have been. Assuming what you had begun to tell me was the truth, it was important to protect you, but only because we don’t know who those men are. At the moment a romantic charade seemed our only option. I’ve used it once or twice in years past with success.”

“I’m sorry, Henry. It was stupid of me to meet Milton here. I suggest you think of what happened back there as something you did only in the line of duty. Then forget it.”

“You still haven’t told me what part Milton Sales plays in all this. The rest of the story?”

“Later. For now, we’ll forget what just happened.”

“You know that’s not in the cards. Carrie, Shirley, and I agreed I needed to look for you, and they know I was looking here at Hobbs. Whatever I do, I am not lying to my wife.”

“Your choice, Henry, your choice. I say you found me here with Milton. The men came. We hid in the trees until the men left. That’s enough to explain. Then forget it.”

Sure,
he thought, then quickly switched to planning options if the men showed up again.

As soon as the parking lot was in view he said, “The dark blue car is still in the lot but, since it’s empty, I suggest you go to your car immediately. Drive out. I’ll wait a few minutes to be sure they don’t show up and follow you. Got your cell phone?”

“Yes, in my purse.”

“Turn it on and lay it on the seat. If you don’t hear from me, it’s clear and you can go straight to the fair. If they follow you, I’ll phone a warning. In that case, continue down the highway into town. Go to the Harps Grocery located on the corner where you turned to come to War Eagle. Park in an open area, walk inside, always being sure people in the lot can see you clearly. Take a cart, and head for the produce section. Stay in that section, maybe picking up one or two things as you browse. It’s nice and open there, with a view to the deli and bakery. People will be around. Wait in that area until I come.”

She nodded, and hurried toward her car.

He headed across the parking lot, wondering if the love scene and her overly warm response was something Edith Embler really planned to forget. He didn’t want to hurt Carrie, but if he didn’t tell her how he had protected her cousin . . . well, would Edie spill the beans? She might even threaten to tell Carrie later, especially if the two of them didn’t continue helping her with the resolution of whatever was going on here. And that would be blackmail.

Nuts! He was probably making too much of this. As soon as he and Carrie were alone, he’d just share the straightforward facts, how he hadn’t had an option. Carrie would understand, in fact, since she was more interested in aiding her cousin than he was, she’d probably approve.

But, Edie? Whatever degree of truth she’d told him, whatever her job was, he still didn’t trust her. A confidential source for DEA? Well, maybe, but in his experience, such people were sometimes so used to manipulating facts while working to achieve a goal that it was hard for them to tell full truth about anything.

After he got in his truck he sat without moving, watching Edie drive out of the lot and turn west. He wished, oh how he wished she’d turned east and headed out of their lives.

No sign of the men. Time to go back to Carrie and Shirley. Time to protect his wife from this woman’s self-focused quest, but first . . .

He dialed Carrie’s cell phone. “Found her. She’s on her way back to you. She probably won’t say anything by way of an excuse, but if she does, don’t believe a word she says until I get there. Everything okay? Good. Love you, too.”

He turned the key, listened to the motor catch, and wondered if there was any way he could keep the events at Hobbs from either haunting him, or causing hurt.

If he told all, would Carrie really understand? Women, including his Cara, could sure be unpredictable.

Then another unsettling thought startled him, and he pulled his hands away from the steering wheel.

Was there lipstick on his shirt?

Chapter Thirteen
FOLLOWING IN HER FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

Being caught with lipstick on a shirt sounded like a joke, but those jokes must have some basis. Obviously men had been caught when wives or girlfriends found an unfamiliar lipstick smear on their clothing. He couldn’t see enough in the little rear vision mirror to be sure he was unsmudged, therefore it would be best to take time for a trip to the Men’s, just in case. A lipstick smear was no way to introduce the interlude with Edie to his wife.

He slammed the truck door and hurried toward the building.

Yes! A good mirror. He was completing his inspection of a totally clean shirt when the door opened and the two men in dark suits came in, exchanging looks when they saw him. They were way too close before he had time to move.

“Well now,” the largest one said, coming to stand on his left, “Get finished with your playtime?”

Henry’s response was a low, growling hum.

The other man stood on his right. “Y’know, Arnie, this is a public park. A
very public
park. Odd place for such private activities.”

Both men moved even closer until they were pushing at him from either side. Henry contemplated his options. Probably better to stand still and find out what was going to shake out here. Besides, they outdid him in muscle, and didn’t look more than forty. And, from what Carrie had said, he assumed both of them were armed.

The larger of the two—Arnie—said, “Tell me,
Sir,
what your name is and what’s going on here?”

Henry said, “Move away from me. I don’t know who you are or what your game is, but my watch is from Target and I probably have forty bucks on me, tops. My credit card is at home. If you hassle me, all I have to do is shout. As you say, this is a very public park.”

Arnie’s companion said, “Hey, we’re the good guys, just looking for a very bad woman. Maybe your friend is that woman. Dumb of us not to realize she might be wearing a wig. So, where did she go? If we’re to assume you’re one of us good guys, why are you protecting her? Or, are you a bad guy we should be checking up on?” His hand suddenly shot out, and he grabbed Henry’s right wrist. “Let’s see your wallet,
Sir.”

“Not until you prove to me who you are and why you want Phyllis.”

Arnie took a leather badge holder from an inside jacket pocket, held it toward Henry briefly, shoved it back in his pocket. He had just clamped his hand around Henry’s left wrist when the room door opened and five teens bounced in, jostling and laughing. As soon as they were inside, all five went silent. “Whoa,” the tallest one said. “What’s goin’ on here?” The other four came closer, obviously scenting adventure.

The men let go of Henry’s wrists, and Henry eyed the kids, hoping no more serious confrontation was pending. They were big guys, maybe part of a high school football team.

However, what one of the boys said next was more unsettling than the presence of Arnie and Company.

“You two messin’ with this old guy?”

Henry looked around at the boys. Then, waking up enough to take advantage of the unexpected backup, he said, “They are. I think they were planning to rob me.”

He moved behind two of the boys as if he wanted to use them as a shield, and quickly lifted his cell phone over their heads, thinking he might get a photo of at least one of the men. Then, jamming the phone in his pocket, he hurried out the door, hoping he could make it to his truck before the two men untangled themselves from the kids.

He made it out of the building, jogged down the sidewalk and across the parking lot. So far, so good. But,
old guy?

While half-wondering if he should have stayed to find out more about who those men were and what they wanted, he jumped in the truck, turned the key, and jammed his foot on the gas.
Old guy?
He wouldn’t tell Carrie what they’d called him.

The truck leapt out of its parking space. He didn’t see any sign of the men, and no dark car followed him down the highway.

They called me an old guy.

Forget it, King. Those boys are young.

Come to think of it, when he was in high school, most of his teachers looked ancient to him. He remembered how surprised he’d been when he saw his math teacher, maybe twenty-five years later, and learned he’d just retired.

When Edie arrived back at the fair tent she slipped smoothly into helping customers with only a smile and brief apology, but no explanation. Shirley and Carrie, prepared by Henry’s call, said nothing, but did exchange eyebrow-raising glances when Edie turned away to pull one of the few remaining baby quilts off the display for a customer. Business had picked up, so the lack of time for any private conversation wasn’t awkward. When Henry arrived about forty-five minutes later he, too, went into work mode, writing tickets and making change without comment.

Carrie, bursting with questions, worked absently, once even forgetting which of the women in front of her wanted the pale green Cuddly. Something about this situation was weird, she sensed that, and had no answer to her “
Why?”
Part of the problem was that Henry seemed as distracted as she. There were undercurrents swirling inside him, and it was maddening that she had no opportunity to ask what was going on.

Though they hadn’t been together for a lifetime, as Investigator Burke had assumed, she realized now that her ability to pick up mental currents from Henry was surprisingly well developed. She wondered if it was the same with him.