Riddle (11 page)

Chapter 17

It was a little after two o’clock when the rain came. Unlike the shower the weather man had predicted it was a deluge. As the crew rushed to cover up equipment and materials Chad pulled up in his truck. “Pack it in for today guys!” He headed over to Frank to check on the day’s progress and was pleased to see how much had been accomplished.

“You’re new boy really works his tail off,” Frank commented as he tossed the plans into the front seat of his truck. “And he’s smart too. Where’d you find him?”

Chad remembered Frank had only moved to Riddle with his family a couple of years earlier. “We went to high school together. He’s been out of town.”

Frank nodded. “I figured he was a college kid but he has skills too.”

“See you tomorrow Frank,” Chad cut off any further discussion of Kort and his past. Then he headed over to where Kort was loading equipment into a temporary storage building. “Hey, how’s it going?”

Kort smiled broadly at Chad. “I think it’s going great. Too bad it rained, I could have worked longer.”

“Don’t wear yourself out.” Chad picked up a tool box and set it inside the shed. “Listen Kort, I haven’t told anyone about your past. I don’t think it’s anyone’s business. But you know how Riddle is. Sooner or later word gets around.”

“Sooner than later you mean,” Kort nodded. He watched Chad slip the lock onto the shed door. “Is that going to be a problem for you?”

Chad shook his head. “Not at all. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Frank says you’re doing a great job. I didn’t expect anything less. If you have any problems with anyone I want you to let me know. Let me handle it.”

“You mean you don’t want me to fly off the handle and get into a fight. I’ve grown up Chad. I don’t pick fights. That’s something you learn very quickly in prison. I keep a low profile, mind my own business, and avoid trouble.”

As they walked toward Kort’s truck Chad apologized. “I didn’t mean it that way. I don’t want you to up and quit.” He laughed. “I can’t afford to lose the only guy Frank ever complimented one day into work.”

Kort climbed into his truck. “No problem there. I can’t afford to leave the only job I can get in this town. Besides I like what I’m doing.” Closing the door he said, “I know I’ve said it before but I do appreciate you Chad.”

Smacking the side of the truck Chad laughed again, “Go on and go home. Hopefully tomorrow will be dry.”

With that Kort headed toward the exit to the main road. Glancing at the dashboard clock he realized Grace wasn’t due to get off for about an hour but he decided to wait for her in the diner parking lot. The rain was coming down heavily now making visibility minimal. As Kort rounded a curve in the round he saw a small black car coming straight at him. It had crossed the line and seemed to almost aim at the truck. He jerked the wheel quickly to pull out of the way and felt the soft shoulder under his tires, soil made muddy by the sudden torrent. Struggling to maintain control of the truck he came dangerously close to the edge of the underbrush; on the other side was a sheer drop to the bottom of the hill and a tight copse of trees. He felt the thump on his front bumper, then, the car pulled back into its own lane and sped up the hill.

Kort hit the brakes hard and felt the tires spin then hold at the last second. His hands clutched the steering wheel as he stared into the brush and to the drop beyond. His heart pounded and he sat perfectly still for a minute, then two minutes. Suddenly he began pounding on the steering wheel cursing, “Damned idiot! Shit!” He flung open the truck door and got out to check for damage. There was a slight scrape on the front bumper and the front end as well as the hood was covered in mud splatters. Shaking slightly he climbed back into the driver’s seat. It almost seemed as though the car had purposely aimed for him. As ridiculous as it seemed he felt like a target. Taking a few moments to regain his composure, he leaned his forehead against his folded arms on the steering wheel. Then straightening up he started the truck and gently guided it back onto the road. Shortly he was back on the main road and soon he was pulling into the diner parking lot. Glancing at the clock he was amazed to find the entire incident had taken less than ten minutes.

The rain was still coming down in sheets but before he turned off the wipers he caught sight of Grace through the diner’s plate glass window. Her red hair stood out against the gray day like a flaming beacon of light. Watching her move around he was glad he had met her.  She was objective, and she was proving to be a friend. Right now he needed that because part of him wondered if the incident with the car had been a deliberate attack. He’d been unable to see who was driving. It could have been anyone in town. He didn’t recognize the car but he hadn’t gotten a very good look at it.

Then he saw Grace come through the diner door. She spotted the truck immediately and her face broke into a wide smile. She pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head and darted through the rain to the truck. Kort reached across and pushed it open so she could get in quickly.

Throwing back her hood she turned to say something but catching the expression on his face she stopped. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I just had an almost accident.”

Grace’s eyes widened. “What? Where?”

Leaning back in his seat he related the incident to her, watching to see her reaction.

“You think someone did it on purpose?”

“I honestly don’t know. I don’t want to be paranoid but it was in my lane. It is raining hard so it’s possible the driver couldn’t see well and just drifted over. Still, I have the feeling it was deliberate.”

Grace was silent for a moment before speaking. “Kort there are people in this town who don’t like you.”

“There are people who hate me and would like to see me dead,” he pointed out coolly. He started the truck and drove to the parking lot exit. “I have no proof.”

Studying him closely she softly said, “You need to be more careful.” Turning to meet her gaze he merely nodded. As he parked the truck at the inn he changed the subject, obviously closing it for the time being. “Let’s get you moved up the hill.”

The rain made visibility almost impossible and Grace sat quietly a moment pondering her next statement. “It’s raining so hard.” She looked back at Kort. “I’m off tomorrow. How about if we put it off until then? To make up for dragging you out of your way I’ll spring for dinner tonight, and it doesn’t have to be pizza.”

For a moment Kort looked uncomfortable and Grace wondered if she had somehow touched a nerve. “We can do it after I get off from work tomorrow afternoon. I appreciate the dinner offer but I already have plans for tonight.”

Grace felt her face grow hot and her skin turned a bright pink. “I’m sorry. You should go on if you have a date. You should have told me.” She felt awkward and foolish.

“It’s not a big deal,” Kort watched her blush and tried to reassure her.

Regaining her composure Grace went on. “So let’s plan on tomorrow if that’s okay with you.”

“I’ll tell you what, how about if I pick you up on my way to work in the morning. It will be pretty early but it will give you all day to get settled. Will that work?”

Grace hesitated a moment before responding. “If you’re sure that won’t be putting you out. It would be better for me also. That way I won’t have to pay for an extra day here.”

Smiling broadly Kort nodded. “It’s a deal. Let’s say about seven?”

“That sounds good to me. I really appreciate your help. I hope you know that. I owe you big time.”

“It’s no problem Grace. I’ll see you at seven then.” He watched as she got out of the truck and hurried across the lobby to the elevator. Part of him regretted he’d agreed to have dinner with Norma. Almost as though she knew what he was thinking his cell phone rang. Seeing Norma’s name on the caller ID made him laugh softly.

“I just wanted to be sure you didn’t forget about tonight,” her voice was soft, almost seductive and Kort felt his body responding to the sound.

“I didn’t forget. Should I bring anything?” His voice had grown husky and he cleared his throat.

“Just your smiling face and your appetite. I have a special meal planned,” she purred.

“I’m heading home to take a shower and change. Are we still on for six-thirty?” He started the truck and wished the rain would let up so he could see more clearly.

“Yes. Drive safely.” Saying good bye Kort drove home wondering exactly where the evening would lead and where he hoped it might lead. By the time he entered the house he had reminded himself that Norma was his friend and nothing more. She was attractive but her intensity put him off. There was no way he would lead her on; it could only lead to problems.

Chapter 18

Norma opened the wine and left it on the counter to breathe. When she heard Kort’s truck pull into the driveway she quickly lit the candles and took one last look at the table. She opened the door before he got the chance to reach it. “Hey there.” As he stepped inside she gave him a quick kiss on his mouth.

When he saw the candles and the way she was dressed Kort got the feeling Norma had more than dinner planned for the evening. He had suspected it earlier but the short lacy dress, one thin strap provocatively slipping down her shoulder, the heels that had to be at least five inches high, her exotically applied make-up, and the scent of a sweetly musky perfume he was pretty sure she had a lt more than dinner on her mind. “You didn’t have to make a fuss.”

“Oh yes I did. We’re celebrating.” She took his hand and led him into the living room. “Have a seat. Would you like some wine? I got us a nice bottle of Merlot.”

Although the last thing Kort wanted was wine he didn’t want to appear rude. She had obviously gone to a great deal of trouble to make the evening special. As Norma went to the kitchen to get glasses he watched her hips twitch provocatively. Her long slim legs looked even longer in the heels.

She returned with two glasses of a ruby red wine and handed one to him. “I don’t want to drink too much. I have to drive home.” The slightly bitter taste of the wine filled his mouth and he resisted making a face.

“Oh there’s plenty of time for it to wear off,” she smiled. In her head she thought he might not be going home if she played her cards right. Sitting beside him on the couch she let her eyes wander over his body. He wore jeans and a blue denim shirt tucked into a wide brown leather belt. The top two buttons were opened revealing the dark tan of his skin and she shivered slightly wondering what he would taste like. She sipped her wine slowly enjoying the rich flavor. “So how do you like the job?”

Setting his glass on the coffee table Kort began telling her about seeing Chad again and how much he enjoyed working outdoors. He didn’t notice how she stared at his mouth, watching his lips move and thinking how wonderful it would be to kiss him. “I should come by and bring you lunch one day,” she suggested, imagining him stripped to the waist and sweaty as he carried a two by four on his shoulder.

A small warning alarm went off in Kort’s head. “That would be nice but we don’t always break at the same time. And usually we all go to the diner together or one of us takes orders and runs down to pick food up.”

At the mention of the diner a frown creased Norma’s brow. The diner; the place where that girl worked, she thought. “Well I could pick something up from there. Or better yet I could make you something special.”

The alarm went up a notch and he nervously took another sip of wine. He’d seen the frown and the darkness in her eyes when he brought up the diner and he remembered her reaction to Grace. Changing the subject he asked what she was cooking. “It smells really good.”

Distracted she looked toward the kitchen. “Cooking?” With a small shake of her head as though clearing her thoughts she said, “It’s a surprise.” Then a big smile crossed her face. “Let’s go ahead and get started.” Reaching down she took his hand and led him to the table. “Here, you sit here and I’ll get the appetizer.”

Kort’s eyes traveled over the table; a small bowl of cut roses sat between the candles. Norma returned carrying a silver bucket containing a bottle of champagne. At the sight of it Kort groaned internally. She set the sweating bucket on the table beside him and placed two champagne flutes near-by. “I’ll let you do the honors.”

Kort hesitated before saying, “Norma this is very sweet but I don’t drink much and I do have to drive home later. I appreciate the thought but…” He stopped speaking when he saw her face fall and her lip tremble. Thinking she might actually cry he relented. “Just one glass.”

Norma’s face brightened, “To celebrate you being home.” Rushing back into the kitchen she returned with a platter containing oysters on the half shell. Kort’s stomach did a flip flop and he thought for a moment he might gag. He’d never had them and had never wanted to.  “Have you ever had them?”

Kort shook his head and while he wanted to tell her he didn’t want to try them, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Clearing his throat he said, “I’m not sure I can. I think I remember having some kind of allergy to shellfish.”

“Oh no. I’m sorry. I thought they would be a great treat.” She bit her lip uncertainly. “I have some Benadryl if you’d like to try them; and I have some cocktail sauce if you’re worried about the taste.”

Kort looked from the oysters to Norma’s expectant expression. “What the hell. Why not?”

He listened to her humming in the kitchen as he unwrapped the cork and popped open the champagne. He slowly filled their glasses as she returned with the cocktail sauce. Still smiling and humming, she set an oyster on his plate and pulled the basket of bread closer to him. Picking up one of the glasses she said softly, “A toast to your freedom and the beginning of a new life.”

Kort clinked his glass against hers and took a sip of the champagne. He was surprised to find he liked the taste. “This is actually good.” The oyster lay in its shell on his plate and he eyed it speculatively. Norma laughed and reached for it but he grabbed her wrist. “No, no. You were right about the champagne.” Without another word he popped the entire thing into his mouth. While Norma may have been right about the champagne she was definitely well off the mark with the oyster. He swallowed it quickly and grabbed the champagne guzzling the last of it down. Rather than being upset Norma laughed harder.

Coughing, Kort set the glass back down and Norma lightly pounded his back. “I’m sorry.”

Suddenly they were both laughing. “I don’t think oysters are for me.”

Norma took the glass from his hand and carried both it and the champagne bottle into the kitchen. “Let me get you a fresh glass.” She could hear Kort clearing his throat in the other room and giggled as she called out, “I’ll get those out of the way in a sec. Then we can have these steaks. Nothing funny about those!”  Opening the kitchen cabinet she withdrew another champagne flute filling it halfway with the sparkling wine. Then she pulled a small bottle from behind the other glasses in the cabinet and shook two capsules into her hand. Opening them she added the contents to the champagne, then added more of the wine swirling it around in the glass until it dissolved completely. Going back into the dining room she handed the glass to Kort. “Here you go. I really am sorry.”

“I feel bad since you went to so much trouble.” He took a big sip of the champagne and frowned slightly.

“Something wrong?”

“It tastes a little bitter.” He took another sip and shook his head before setting the glass on the table.

“Maybe it’s because of the oyster.” Norma pouted. “I’ve just made a mess of everything.”

“No, not at all,” Kort reassured her and took another big sip of the champagne. “Actually you’re probably right because it tastes fine now.” He smiled at her.

She squeezed his shoulder, “I’ll get the steaks. You do like steak I hope?”

“Definitely. Can I help you?” He started to get up but she pushed him firmly back into the chair.

“Absolutely not. I have this under control.”

Kort took a deep breath and settled back in the chair. “I have to get out of here,” he thought. It was obvious Norma had expectations he wasn’t prepared to fill. Rubbing his hand over his face he was surprised to find a thin layer of perspiration. Looking at his hand he noticed it was shaking slightly. “No more wine for me.”

Norma returned with a bowl of salad. “I have this and steak and…” she began. “Are you okay? You’re sweating.”

“I think I may have had a little too much wine.” He started to get up and the room spun crazily and he crumpled back onto the chair.

“Kort!” she grabbed his arm. “Come on into the living room and sit down. Dinner can wait.”

He stood slowly, his body trembling. She slipped an arm around him and partially supported his weight as she led him to the couch. The scent of her hair tickled his nose and he inhaled deeply wanting more. She eased him onto the couch and sat next to him, rubbing his shoulders. “Do you want some water?”

“No I just need to sit,” his tongue felt thick and the words came out sounding funny. “I guess I haven’t had any alcohol in a long time.” But it came out “I giss I habnt had any akhol in a lon tie.” He looked at Norma and was amazed by her beauty. He had never noticed her eyes before or the way the darkness of her hair highlighted the paleness of her skin. The strap of her dress had slipped even more and he reached out to adjust it but he was clumsy and instead his fingers tangled in it. Her face was very close to his and she was rubbing his shoulder, then her hand moved up to his neck. Her lips were so pink and moist and suddenly he was kissing her and the taste of her was sweet and hot. He pulled her tight against him, drowning in the taste and scent of her.

“Kort,” she sighed, not resisting. Her hands slowly unbuttoned his shirt and she allowed her lips to taste the saltiness of his skin. His heart was beating so hard he thought he could see it thumping in his chest.

The room was tilting crazily and she was unbuckling his belt. His hands had pulled her dress high above her hips. The colors of the room seemed to run together and blend before separating again. Suddenly she was above him and in control and he watched her long dark hair swing over his face, teasing him with its softness and somewhat musky scent. The blood was pounding in his head and he thought the top of his head would explode any second. But even when he climaxed he wanted more. It was as though she was a drug and he was addicted to her.

Hours later he awoke in the bedroom to find her lying across his chest, her breathing deep and regular. He felt queasy and lightheaded. As he tried to get up her arm tightened around him. She sighed, “Stay.”

“I need to use the bathroom.” He slipped out of the bed and stumbled unsteadily to the bathroom. He caught sight of himself in the mirror as he let go of the stream that seemed to run forever. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin had taken on a flushed almost feverish glow. There were scratches on his chest where she had clawed at him in what he hoped was passion and not resistance. It all seemed blurry, unclear. Looking at his hands he saw they still shook slightly. He leaned his head against the wall; the coolness of the tiles felt good against his skin. Looking down at himself he got a sinking sensation. He hadn’t used a condom. He hadn’t expected to have sex and he didn’t even have one with him. “Nice job Kort,” he chided himself.

Kort made his way unsteadily back into the bedroom. “Norma I need to go home.”

She was immediately awake. “Why?” Then, “Should you be driving?”

Briefly he wondered if she was right but he wanted to get away. He wanted to be home in his own bed. More than anything he wanted a shower. He felt somehow soiled.

“I’ll be okay. I need to go home or my mother will be worried.” He lied.

Norma sat up in the bed, her skin glowing in the light from the bathroom. She was beautiful but something was terribly wrong. “I had too much to drink,” he thought again.

She reached for him, “Come back to bed. You can call your mother and let her know you got sick and you’re staying here.” Her fingers brushed his.

“No. No. I can’t. I need to go.” He moved toward the living room and began picking up pieces of his clothing and she was right behind him.

“Kort I insist you come back inside. You are in no condition to drive.” Her voice was tense bordering on angry.

Zipping up his jeans he responded sharply. “I’m really sorry I ruined your celebration but I have to go. This was…”

Her eyes flashed. “What? This was a mistake? Is that what you were going to say?”

Pulling on his shirt he said, “No. I just need to get home and get some sleep.” He headed for the door and she followed him, still naked. She clutched at his arm.

“Will you at least call me when you get home so I know you’re okay?”

He nodded and immediately wished he hadn’t when the room continued to bounce.

Norma pressed herself against him. “This was wonderful. You are wonderful.” He turned his face as her mouth sought his.

“I’m sorry. I just feel so sick.” With that he was out the door, forcing himself to walk steadily to his truck. Sliding in behind the wheel he took a deep breath before shoving the key into the ignition. As the headlights came on he saw Norma standing naked in the doorway of her house, arms crossed over her breasts. He pulled cautiously out of her driveway and drove home slowly, leaving the window open so the cool air would blow across his face. By the time he pulled into the garage his head was a little clearer.

Going into the house he found all the lights turned off and looking at his phone saw that it was after three in the morning. He moved upstairs as quietly as he could and fell across his bed fully clothed. “Something is wrong,” was his last thought as he drifted off to an uneasy sleep filled with bizarre dreams. His cell phone buzzed and he mindlessly answered. He would not remember speaking to Norma and telling her he was safely at home.