Game On (7 page)

Maybe the game master had the right idea. Maybe he should resign from politics.

He walked through the tiny living room to the spare bedroom—his office when he was here. He stared at the laptop. It was late and he knew he shouldn't turn it on. If he did, he'd be up for hours. And now that he'd left without notice, there would be a ton of work waiting. He'd check his email and that would be it. He needed to get some sleep. Lucas scrolled through the list. His throat constricted when he saw the subject line listed as
MUST SEE
.

Not again.

Ignore it
. If he opened it, he probably wouldn't get any sleep. Curiosity won. As the picture loaded, he broke out in a sweat. Behind him in the picture was a window with the logo
Kent Investigations
. And right next to him stood Nikki. It didn't matter how hard he tried to hide, they would find him. His gaze moved downward. He read the caption.

SOMEONE WILL DIE IF YOU REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE!

Who would die? Nikki? Himself? What mistake? And why did they think he was about to repeat it? He had no idea what the warning meant. This wasn't suggestive of danger—it was blatant. Were they serious? Surely not.

The game master wanted to freak him out. And he'd succeeded.

He pulled out the business card Nikki had given him and forwarded the email to her. Would she actually get it? Probably not. No one else ever did.

After he sent the email, he hit the icon of the print button. Nothing happened. It wasn't on. He jumped up and moved to the printer, plugging it in and then turning it on. The red light blinked off and the green one blinked on. He hurried back to the computer.

The screen was blank. The picture was gone—just like all the other times.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Nikki. It rang several times and then went to voice mail. “Nikki, this is Lucas. I received another email. I sent it to you. Let me know if you got it.”

Had he put Nikki in danger by going to her for help? Was that what the message meant? He wouldn't take that chance. He'd tell her that her services were no longer needed. He'd have to hire someone else or deal with it alone. He slammed a fist into the desk. Knowing it was hopeless, he went through file after file, trying to find the email. But it was gone. Had Nikki received the email?

He pulled out his phone and hit her number. It rang several times and then went to voice mail again. He started to leave a message. What if they were listening? He hadn't thought of that. Did they have some sort of bug installed in his phone? His mind flashed through some of the conversations he'd had. Crucial information was often discussed. Matters of national importance. He'd need to have the phone checked out tomorrow. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Because he was too frazzled. Too emotional to be clearheaded. He hit the end button.

Was he being ludicrous? They already knew he'd been in contact with Nikki. Was that the mistake they referred to in the email? Were they warning him not to involve anyone else in their game?

Maybe he should resign. He'd threatened to do that at Nikki's office. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded. Quitting would be worth it if they left him alone. If they left Nikki alone.

They'd said not to make the same mistake twice. Nikki was the first investigator he'd hired. So that couldn't be what they meant.

He called Nikki's number again and left another message. He didn't tell her the picture was of her office. She could look at it and come to her own conclusions as to whether it was a valid threat. It was only after he'd hung up that he realized he'd not told her he was in Maiden, rather than Washington, DC.

He paced around the room. His phone rang. “Hello, Elizabeth. What can I do for you?”

“Lucas, I wanted to know when you'd be back to work. Should I cancel your appointments for next week?”

Nikki said that she would be in DC next week. He had to be there so she could do her work.

“Don't cancel them. I'll be back Monday.”

“If you're sure.”

“I'm sure.”

“Where did you say you were?”

“I didn't say.” He trusted Elizabeth, but he wouldn't tell her where he was in case they were listening. Of course, they probably knew anyway. “See you on Monday.” He clicked off before she could ask him another question.

Nikki probably wouldn't call back until morning.

Lucas decided to call it a night. As he climbed into bed, he pushed the ringer up to full volume in case Nikki called back. He'd tell her about the warning then.

****

Lucas woke up, surprised that he'd actually fallen asleep. He'd tossed and turned most of the night. He grabbed the phone.

Maybe Nikki hadn't received the voice message or the email.

He rang her number again.

No answer.

He left a simple voice message this time. “Call me.” Jumping out of bed, he moved directly to the computer. After scrolling the new emails, he breathed easier. No new ones from the game master. He thought back to last night's email. In the light of day, it seemed more like a prank. Nothing the game master had done had ever been threatening before. So maybe this email wasn't from him.

Still, Lucas couldn't take that chance. He would tell Nikki her services were no longer needed when she called him back. After he showered, he headed up to the main house. His mother was in the kitchen. “Morning, Mama.”

“Morning? It's practically afternoon.”

He checked his watch. “Mama, it's barely five minutes after nine. I would hardly call that afternoon.”

“In my day, people didn't waste the day by sleeping it away.” She grinned. “Ready for some pancakes?”

“Stop pulling my leg, Mama. You know how much I love those.”

“I do. That's why I mixed up a batch.” She picked up a bowl sitting on the counter.

“Got pecans in there?”

“Of course.”

“Then pancakes sound like a marvelous idea.”

The batter sizzled as she spooned it onto the griddle.

Lucas got the maple syrup and two plates. He poured a cup of coffee. “Want a cup?”

“I would love a cup, but my doctor says one cup a day is all I get. And I had that hours ago.”

“Not everyone gets up with the chickens.”

“Maybe they should. Everyone would get a lot more accomplished if they did.” She walked over with a platter full of pecan pancakes. “You know what would be another marvelous idea?”

He speared two with his fork. “What would that be, Mama?” He reached for the syrup.

She didn't speak for a few moments as she readied her own plate. “That you tell me what's going on, Lucas.”

“Can't I just be home for a visit?”

“Of course you can, but I don't think that's what's happening here.”

“Why not?”

“Call it mother's intuition.”

“I told you last night that I can handle the situation. The situation isn't why I'm here.” He grinned. “I suddenly had a hankering for some maple-pecan pancakes.”

“So you say.”

“Can't a man miss his mama?”

She gave him a look as she took another dainty bite of pancake. “What's on your agenda for the day?”

“Not a whole lot. I thought I'd drive down to Hickory and show my face at the mall. Shake some hands. Show people I'm still alive and kicking. Then later come back to Maiden and make a few stops around town.”

“Why don't you call your sister? Suzie loves the mall. That way, it will look a little more natural to people. I wouldn't want them to think you just went there to be seen.”

“You need to take over as my campaign manager.”

“If I did, would you tell me what's going on?”

8

Cassie was slouched on the passenger seat, her mouth hanging open and little purring sounds emanating.

Nikki smiled. Just the kind of photo she would hate. Picking up her phone from the console, she snapped a few. She didn't mind that Cassie had spent most of the drive sleeping. It gave her time to think and to pray. It was still hard to believe she'd agreed to help Lucas.

She checked her phone. Lucas had called again. There was no way to check her voice mail with Cassie so close. She'd call him back as soon as she dropped Cassie off.

Cassie opened her eyes. “What are ya doing?”

“Nothing. Glad to see you awake. What happened to helping me stay awake?”

Cassie grinned. “I'm a growing girl. I need my rest.” She straightened up and looked around. “Hey, we're in Maiden.”

“So we are. You woke up just in time.” Nikki pulled into her sister's drive. She pointed at Cassie. “You—get in there and face the consequences. And be nice about it or no visit this summer. Got it?”

Cassie rolled her eyes, but grinned. “Got it.” She grasped the door handle. “Aren't you coming in with me?”

“No way. You're on your own. I'll be back later.”

“Thanks for all your support, Auntie.”

“My pleasure, sweetie. Hopefully, next time, you'll think twice before pulling a stunt like this.”

“Probably not.”

Nikki glared at her.

Cassie shrugged. “What? I'm just being truthful.”

Nikki drove off with a smile. In spite of Cassie making some wrong choices, she was growing into a sweet young lady. And nothing she'd said on the drive made Nikki think Cassie had an inkling about who her bio parents were. Bethany should relax about that.

After parking on Main Street, Nikki walked into her favorite restaurant in her hometown. Nothing much changed in Maiden, North Carolina. And that's how her citizens liked it. And so did Nikki, even though she wasn't technically a citizen. In her heart, Maiden would always be home.

The old-fashioned diner had been an actual dining car at some time.

Picking up a menu, Nikki hurried to the only empty booth.

The waitress walked over. “Are you ready? If not, I can come back in a few.”

“The chicken-fried steak, but I want chicken gravy instead of the white. Mashed potatoes and a diet soda.”

“Got it.”

“Thanks, Misty.”

The waitress looked up from her order pad. “Well, as I live and breathe, if it ain't Nikki Kent. Sorry I didn't recognize you. It's as busy as a mall on Christmas Eve here today.”

“Don't worry about it. We can catch up later if it slows down.”

“Not too slow, I hope.” Misty touched the pocket of her apron. “I need my tips. It won't take too long for your food.”

“Thanks.” Nikki's gaze moved to the door as the tinkling of the bell announced a new patron. The blood rushed to her face. He was supposed to be in DC. She hadn't seen Lucas in sixteen years and now twice in a week. Maybe he was the one stalking her. Obviously not. He hadn't noticed she was in the restaurant yet.

Lucas walked up to the customers in the first booth and gave a sunny smile. “Hi. I'm Lucas McMann, the congressman for this district.” He schmoozed his way through the diner.

She'd been too busy yesterday being angry to take notice. He'd aged. No longer a boy, his brown hair had been replaced with some silver. He still had that sexy grin and those pale blue eyes that reminded her of a North Carolina sky after a hard rain. No wonder he kept getting reelected for every position he ran for. Voters loved a handsome politician. And as much as she hated to admit it, Lucas was that. Not that she cared.

“So, how are you fine folks today?” he asked the customers in the booth next to hers.

Lucas glanced at her and then back at the people, but a second later, he focused back on her. A slow smile as he nodded while the woman in the booth told him exactly what she thought about the terrible condition of the state's roads.

He straightened up. “I know what you mean, ma'am. And I promise to look into the matter.”

“Sounds as if you have the right idea, Congressman. Take care of the roads and I might just vote for you.”

“I'll do my best. It was nice to meet you.” He walked to Nikki's booth with his hand held out. “Lucas—”

“So I heard.” She glared at him, hoping he would get her hidden message.
Go away
. “I don't vote.”

“That's OK. I'm here to get a bite to eat at my favorite restaurant. Is it all right with you if I sit here? Doesn't seem to be any other seats available.”

She had told him not to talk to her if he saw her. But that was in DC. He must think it was all right here. But it wasn't. He either hadn't gotten her message, or more likely, chose to ignore it. She nodded. “I suppose.”

“Thank you so much. And I promise, no politics.”

“Not likely.”

“Such a cynic.” Instead of sitting in the empty side, he sat down beside her, giving her no choice but to scoot over as he slid into the booth. “If you don't like politics, what do you like?”

“None of your business.”

Misty walked over with a huge platter in her hand. A lake of chicken gravy decorated the mashed potatoes and the crispy battered steak. She leaned past Lucas and set the platter down. “Here you go, Nikki.”

“That looks wonderful. Thanks, Misty.”

Lucas smiled at the waitress. “Oh, that looks good enough to eat. I'll have the same. Only I want the white gravy.”

“Nice to see you again, Congressman McMann.”

“Call me Lucas, please.”

Misty pulled out her order pad and wrote his order down. “And to drink?”

“Coffee—black.”

“Anything else?”

“Oh, yeah. I'll have one of your famous berry cobblers. And make that à la mode, please.”

Misty smiled. “You want the cobbler after your meal, I'm assuming.”

“You know what. I think not. Bring it out while the other is cooking.”

“Really?”

“Sure, why not. I'll bet it will taste even better while I'm starving.”