Whispered Promises (14 page)

Duncan nervously ran his fingers through his hair. “That's too bad.”

Dex gave the man a hard look. “Yeah, I'm sure for you it is. And I'm curious as to how you found out Halston Parker had died.”

The man actually reddened. “I—I read about it in the papers.”

Dex had a feeling he was lying. He leaned on the desk and stared straight at him. “I don't want to leave here with any misunderstandings. The land is not for sale, now or ever. If you or anyone associated with this outfit as much as picks up a telephone to call my wife, or look her way, there'll be hell to pay and you, Malone, will have to deal with me personally.”

“Is that a threat, Mr. Madaris?”

Dex shook his head. “I don't make threats, Malone. That's your game. What I do is state facts. For your continued good health, you best remember that.”

A frown covered Duncan's face. He watched Dex turn and walk out of his office just as boldly as he had walked in. He punched the intercom on his desk. “Lynn, find Walker, and find him now!”

Halston Parker's pickup truck bounced to a halt in front of a homemade sign posted on a large oak tree that read Private Property—No Trespassing.

Caitlin was glad the ride had ended. The last thirty minutes had been the most discomforting ride she'd ever taken, thanks to the rough road. Once they turned off the main highway, their taxing journey had begun. Only Jordan had taken the bumpy ride in stride and had looked upon each jounce with merriment. Caitlin was glad for Dex's decision to take her father's truck instead of her car.

“That ride was fun, Daddy. Let's do it again.”

Dex and Caitlin exchanged amused glances before their laughter broke to the surface. “We will, soon enough,” Dex replied, looking around the wooded area.

“You're right, Caitlin, there's really not much out here. Let's take a look around,” he said, getting out of the truck. He grinned as he thumped the fender on his way around to the other side of the vehicle to open the door for Caitlin and Jordan. Jordan immediately jumped into her father's arms, leaving her mother to carry the picnic basket Caitlin had packed.

“If I remember correctly, there's a path near here that leads to the center of the property,” Caitlin said as they began walking.

“When were you here last?”

“The month before my mom died. My parents used to keep a trailer here. We would come up occasionally just to get away from the city.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

Caitlin smiled. “I enjoyed the time I spent with my parents, otherwise I thought this place dull, so far from civilization. There wasn't even a McDonald's close by.”

Dex chuckled. “McDonald's? You're definitely a city girl.”

“Yeah, I guess I am at that. It was nice getting away once in a while, but I enjoy being close to neighbors and the golden arches.”

Dex shook his head, grinning. “I have one girl who's addicted to Big Macs and another who's addicted to pizzas.” He then bounced Jordan in his arms. Her squeal of delight echoed in the silence of the surrounding woodland. They walked the path through the trees.

“The trailer should be just around the bend,” Caitlin said.

“It's still here?” Dex asked, shifting Jordan in his arms.

“Yeah, but I don't know what shape it's in. For a while Dad didn't come up here at all after Mom died, but I recently found out from Dr. Flores that he came up here pretty often after I began college. He liked to fish and there's a small stream not far from here,” she said as they walked across the uneven ground, devoid of any kind of growth.

“There it is,” Caitlin said, pointing toward a trailer sitting in the clearing. “And it looks like it's in pretty good shape.”

Upon reaching the trailer, Dex tried the door. “It's locked. Do you know anything about the key?”

“No, but I'd imagine it's on my father's key ring.”

After trying a few keys they found one that worked. Their luck hadn't come too soon as far as Caitlin was concerned. Jordan had just whispered in her ear that she needed to use the bathroom.

Inside the trailer was a small living area with a galley kitchen. There were two bedrooms across one end, a small hallway and closet, and a nice bath area. The entire unit appeared compact and neat as a pin. Caitlin could tell by the stuffy smell the place had been locked up tight for quite some time.

While Dex took a look around, Caitlin rushed Jordan off to the bathroom. The diversion gave her an opportunity to deal with the sudden rush of grief the memories of the place caused.

When they returned, Dex had the air-conditioning going full blast. “This is a neat little setup. Your father even had his own generator installed out here. Seems like everything is pretty much in working order. I'm gonna take a look around on the outside. Since it's so hot, I suggest we have our picnic in here instead of outdoors.”

“That's fine with me. I would hate to have an uninvited lunch guest like a snake or something.”

Dex laughed. “This is pretty much like a wilderness out here, isn't it?”

“Yes, and I'm questioning the sanity of any developer who wants to put anything out here.”

Dex nodded. “So am I.”

“You wanted to see me, Uncle Duncan?”

Duncan looked up from the papers he'd been reading. “I want you to back off on Halston Parker's daughter. No one told you to put the squeeze on her without consulting me. The police are already suspicious. What are you trying to do, get me thrown in jail or something?”

Walker picked up a paperclip off the desk. “Of course not. What I'm trying to do is get results.”

Duncan pushed his chair back; his face appeared stern. “Your results can put the both of us in prison, if not in the hospital first. Her husband paid me a visit today, and he's meaner than hell. Leave Halston Parker's daughter alone. I don't want word of this getting back to Remington Oil. It could mess up future relations with them.”

“It's going to mess up future relations with them anyway, when you can't deliver a signed contract for that land. You told them it was almost a done deal. What does Remington Oil want with the land anyway?”

“I don't know and I really don't care. All they've hired us to do is to make sure the land is purchased for them, and not to get into their business.”

“Well, the way I see it,” Walker said, “you really don't have a choice but to force Parker's daughter into selling you that land, if you want to continue doing business with Remington Oil.”

“Forget it,” Duncan said, slicing one hand through the air. “There has to be another way. The last thing I want to do is tangle with that husband of hers, not to mention having the police breathing down our necks.”

“So what do you suggest?” Walker asked, giving his uncle a hard glare.

“Damn, I don't know,” Duncan said rubbing his forehead. “I need to think about this,” he replied, staring into space.

A slow, sadistic smile formed on Walker's lips. “Yeah, you do that. And I'll think of something, too.”

“Hello?”

“Clayton, sorry to call so late. This is Dex.

“What's up, bro?”

“I need your help. Caitlin received a threatening phone call last night about her land.”

“What? Do you think it's the same person who tried dogging her father out?”

Dex's features hardened. “Yes, I do.”

“Did you report it to the police?”

“I went to the police yesterday to check out Halston's story. But I haven't reported the call Caitlin received last night to them yet.”

“Why? What are you waiting for?”

“I'd like Alex to do some investigative work first.” Alexander Maxwell was the brother of a close friend of Clayton's and a top-notch private investigator.

“What kind of investigative work?”

“I went out to Caitlin's property to take a look around. And to be quite honest with you, I can't find any reason why anyone would be interested in it, especially for any type of major development. Although there's over eight hundred acres of land, the terrain is rocky and the soil isn't of good quality. Plus, it's in the middle of nowhere. I'm curious why Malone Land Developers wants it.”

“Malone Land Developers?”

“Yeah. Ever heard of them?”

“The name doesn't sound familiar, but I'll have Alex check them out. If there's something about them that we need to know, he'll find out what it is.”

“Thanks, Clayton.”

“And, Dex, I understand congratulations are in order. I ran into Trevor today, and he told me the good news about Remington Oil's offer. Congratulations.”

Dex smiled. “Thanks. I was going to call you and Justin with the news, especially since the both of you are my financial backers.” His smile faded. “But I got sidetracked with this thing about Caitlin's land. I have a feeling something's going on and that Malone Land Developers is right smack in the middle of whatever it is. I'll bet my oil rig on it.”

“When will you be going to Austin to meet with Remington Oil?”

“I'm supposed to meet with them on Friday, but I don't feel comfortable leaving Caitlin and Jordan now. I'm sending Trevor in my place. He's making a pit stop here in the morning to deliver some papers that need my signature.”

“If there's anything I can do, just let me know, Dex.”

“I will.”

“I'll put Alex on this right away. Hopefully, he'll have some information for you in a few days. I'll keep in touch.”

“Y
ou're Dex's ex-wife?”

Caitlin studied the handsome, ruggedly built man standing before her in the open doorway. She raised a brow, not certain she liked what he'd said or the way he'd said it. Something bordering on disbelief was etched on his face. He stood several inches over six feet with curly, close-cropped black hair and dark, piercing eyes. His dark, coffee-colored face encompassed high cheekbones, a straight nose and a strong jawline. She had a gut feeling he was the type of man a person would have to be crazy to even think about tangling with.

“No, I'm not Dex's ex-wife,” she responded. “I'm his wife.”

Trevor Grant was lost for words. “Sorry, ma'am. You're not what I expected.”

“Oh? And just what were you expecting?”

Trevor shrugged, grinning sheepishly. “An older woman. A bigger woman. A less prettier one. Hell, I don't know. I just wasn't expecting you.”

Caitlin could not prevent herself from softly biting down on her bottom lip to prevent a smile. “Well, you're in luck since I
was
expecting you.”

She stepped aside. “Please come in, Mr. Grant. Dex's upstairs. He'll be down shortly. Won't you have a seat?”

Before Trevor could sit down, Dex came down the stairs with Jordan trailing behind him.

“Trevor, it's good seeing you, man.” The two men clapped each other on the back. “How was your flight?”

“So-so,” Trevor replied looking curiously at Jordan. “And who do we have here?” he asked. Although his gaze was on Jordan, his question was directed to Dex.

“This is my daughter. Jordan, sweetheart, say hello to Mr. Grant.”

Trevor's head snapped up. He barely heard the little girl's greeting. “You've only been gone a week and already you got a kid? That's pretty fast work, bro.”

Dex laughed and gave Trevor a wink. “Yeah, tell me about it.” He then turned to Caitlin. “Guess the two of you have met already.”

“Yes, we have,” Trevor said, raising a brow. “And I think you and I have a lot to talk about.”

Dex grinned. “I guess we do, at that. Did you bring the papers that I need to sign?”

“Yep.”

“Good.” Dex motioned for Trevor to follow him. “Come on. We can use the kitchen table.”

“Dex, I'm going to take Jordan to the park for a while. We'll be back later,” Caitlin said, taking Jordan's hand in hers. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Grant.”

“Likewise, and please call me Trevor.”

Caitlin smiled. “All right, Trevor.” She turned and walked out the door, unaware of the subtle swaying of her hips.

Trevor watched her departure, not realizing that his mouth hung open. Dex placed his forefinger beneath Trevor's chin and closed it.

“You're drooling over my wife, Trev.”

Trevor couldn't help but laugh. It was a lucky thing for him that his and Dex's friendship went back a long way. “Don't expect an apology from me, Dex. Damn it, man, she's gorgeous. But she looks so young. Just how old is she?”

“Caitlin's twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five! Gee, man, I didn't know she was that young.”

Dex knew there were a lot of things about Caitlin that his good friend didn't know. It had been much too painful to ever talk about her. “She was twenty-one when we married.”

“And the kid, man,” Trevor said, shaking his head. “It's obvious she's yours, but where did she come from?”

Dex grinned. “It's a long story. Come on. I'll fill you in over a can of beer.”

“Do you mind if I share this bench with you?”

Caitlin's gaze flicked up from the book she'd been reading and into the smiling face of the man who'd asked the question. “Sure.”

She shifted on the park bench to allow him room to sit down. She couldn't help noticing the sketch pad in his hand. “Are you an artist?”

“Sometimes,” he answered, fixing her with a friendly look. “For me it's a great stress reliever from the hustle and bustle of the business world.”

They sat in amiable silence for some time. Caitlin would glance up from her book a few times whenever he would flip a page to his sketch pad to start on another subject.

“Mommy, see the pretty flower.” Jordan, who'd been playing in the sandbox with some other kids, had come over to the bench.

“Yes, baby, it's pretty,” Caitlin said, reaching out and taking the flower from Jordan's hand. She gave her daughter a big hug. “Are you ready to go?”

“Not yet, Mommy. I want to play some more.” Before Caitlin could respond, Jordan raced back toward the other children.

“She's a pretty little girl. Is she yours?”

Caitlin smiled. “Thanks, and yes, she's mine.”

“I think she'll be a joy to capture on paper.”

Caitlin watched as the man sketched Jordan's likeness on his pad. He showed her the finished product. “What do you think?”

She smiled. “Why that's beautiful. You're very talented.”

He returned her smile and tore off the sheet containing Jordan's likeness. “Here, you can have this.”

“Thanks.” Not one who would routinely converse with strangers, Caitlin accepted the drawing and tucked it in the back of her book. She then focused her attention back to her reading. The guy seemed nice enough, she thought, but so had Ted Bundy, the serial killer.

“I prefer sketching people more so than objects,” the man said a short time later.

Caitlin looked up from her book. “Really? Why's that?”

“They're more interesting.”

Caitlin noticed that while he'd been talking to her, he'd quickly captured on his pad a very good likeness of her. He showed it to her. “I think once again you've done an outstanding job,” she told him.

“Thanks.” He checked his watch. “Gosh, it's later than I thought.” He stood. “Enjoy the rest of your day in the park. Goodbye.” He quickly turned and left.

It was only after he was gone did Caitlin realize he had not offered her the picture he'd drawn of her. She shrugged. He was in such a hurry to get back to work he probably forgot to do so, she thought, returning to her book.

“Let me get this straight, man. You actually weren't divorced all this time? And Caitlin found out she was pregnant after you'd left for Australia?”

“That's about it, Trev.”

Trevor shook his head. “Talk about a rather interesting story. You could have found yourself in one hell of a mess had you married someone thinking you were divorced. It's a good thing you never got involved with anyone.”

“I never wanted to get involved with anyone.”

Trevor knew that Clayton had tried fixing Dex up with a number of nice-looking sisters, and he'd never shown an interest in any of them. Dex's work had been his constant companion. “Why? Because you've never gotten over Caitlin?”

“No, because getting hurt once was enough.”

“Then pardon me for asking, but why are you here now? Seems like the two of you are pretty much back together.”

Dex took another swig of beer before answering. “Caitlin and I have decided to try to make a go of things for Jordan's sake.”

“For Jordan's sake? Yeah right, man,” Trevor said, grinning. “I saw the way your woman was looking at you, and I also saw the way you were watching her. And I guess you want me to believe your decision not to go to Austin has nothing to do with leaving her behind.”

Dex frowned. “My decision not to attend Remington Oil's meeting has everything to do with Caitlin.” He then told Trevor everything, beginning with Halston's letter and ending with him having Alex investigate Malone Land Developers.

“Is the man crazy or what?” Trevor asked, shaking his head. “People can't go around forcing others to do anything against their will. Doesn't Malone know a contract isn't binding if either party was forced into it?”

“I really don't know what the man knows, except the fact I made it absolutely clear he was to leave Caitlin alone. The land is not for sale and that's final.”

“Still, bro, if I were you, I'd be careful. Some people don't get messages, even clear ones. Did you report the telephone call to the police?”

“Yeah, I spoke with a Lieutenant Williams yesterday and again this morning. He's reopening the case.” Dex didn't add that the officer hadn't been too pleased that he had taken matters into his own hands by confronting Duncan Malone.

“Lieutenant Williams and I have decided the best way to handle things is to keep a low profile since I'm moving Caitlin and Jordan to Houston in a few days. I told him that I've hired a private investigator to do some checking into Malone Land Developers.” Dex smiled inwardly. Lt. Williams hadn't liked that move on his part, either.

“But enough about my personal woes, Trev. Are you ready for your meeting with Remington Oil tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I'm flying directly to Austin from here. I should get there this afternoon around six. I'm going straight to the hotel from the airport.”

“My reservations are at the Hilton,” Dex said. “Since you're taking my place tomorrow, the hotel accommodations and the rental car are yours, courtesy of Remington Oil.”

“Did you let the people at Remington Oil know of the change in plans?”

“Yes. I spoke with Adam today. Corinthians took the day off so I didn't get a chance to talk with her.”

“Who's Corinthians?”

“Corinthians Avery is a geologist with Remington Oil. And according to Adam, she's now the head geologist. We used to work together a few years back.” Dex smiled. “She's a real nice lady, man.”

Something about Dex's voice when he'd made the last statement made Trevor raise a brow. “Was there something between the two of you once?”

Dex shook his head, grinning. “No. There's never been anything between Corinthians and me other than friendship. I always considered her like one of my own sisters. She's someone with easy charm and polished manners. A real prim-and-proper, well-bred sister. She's nice. You'll like her.”

“Corinthians. Mmm,” Trevor said, taking his index finger and running it alongside his cold can of beer. “Sounds like her name was taken straight from the Good Book.”

Dex chuckled. “It was. Corinthians's father is a Baptist minister, and he named his son and daughter after books in the Bible. I'm sure you've heard of her brother, Senator Joshua Avery.”

Trevor's smile faded. “Who hasn't heard of Avery and his aspirations to one day become Texas's first black governor.”

“Do I detect you have a slight problem with that,” Dex said, eyeing his friend.

“Let's just say, I think Avery has his priorities screwed up. He's a prime example of a brother who's so focused on where he's going, that he's forgotten where he came from.”

Dex nodded. “Well, enough of politics. Give me those papers you have for me to sign. I don't want you to miss your plane to Austin.”

Trevor laughed. “Are you trying to get rid of me before your gorgeous wife gets back?”

Dex joined him in laughter. “That hadn't crossed my mind, but now since you've mentioned it, that's not such a bad idea.”

Walker rapidly strode down the long hallway to his office. When he reached his destination, he grabbed the knob and opened the door, letting himself inside.

He removed his jacket before sinking into the well-padded chair behind his desk. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He fully understood the unique nature of running a land development company. He'd discovered that most people didn't know their own minds, and the majority of their decisions could be made more quickly with other people's help and influences. A prime example was the Parker deal. Halston Parker had claimed he hadn't wanted to sell the land. He'd also said he hadn't had any plans to develop the property himself. That didn't make sense. Why would anyone in their right mind let a piece of land just sit there when it could bring them a bunch of money?

And as far as Walker was concerned, his uncle Duncan had become soft in his old age. It was time for him to retire and let Walker take over. He was certain he could get the Parker's land for Remington Oil if he could do things his way, without any interference from his uncle.

He smiled and began flipping through the pad he'd placed on his desk. He stopped when he came to the likeness of the woman he'd drawn that afternoon in the park, Halston Parker's daughter. He'd been parked outside her house since morning and had followed her to the park.

His smile widened. Once he used a few more scare tactics on her, she'd be glad to get rid of that land. Unlike his uncle, he wasn't afraid of her “wanna-go-for-bad” husband. If he had to, he would deal with him later.