Public Secrets (Artificial Intelligence Book 1) (8 page)

It was his eyes that unnerved them. When his dark, ferret eyes bored into you, it was as if Satan had pierced your soul. The hairs on the back of your neck would rise as if you were in mortal danger.

During his first month at Eaton, his classmates taunted him without mercy, but after a few freak accidents, which no one ever proved he caused, the students and faculty gave him a wide berth. Terrible things tended to happen to those who were disrespectful to Eder. Julie Barns slipped on the train tracks and lost her right leg. Joey Ganes drowned in a kiddie pool while watching his younger brother. Miss Carmelite’s toy poodle got caught in the lawnmower and no one knew until the engine was started.

Once people gave Eder his space and stopped being disrespectful, all the terrible, unexplained accidents stopped happening, except on those rare occasions when someone forgot themselves or someone new in town transgressed the unspoken code. Then something terrible would happen to remind them all of the necessity for manners.

Eder had never been a demanding child. In fact, he was quiet and studious. All he desired of those around him was respect. He was fully aware that he was not lovable. His mother and father had made that point quite clear early on. However, through careful training, he had also brought them to a point of quiet acceptance and politeness.

His mother had sometimes been sharp when Baby Jane had been around, but since the child’s unfortunate death by the neighbor’s dog, his mother had become quite passive and polite. Often she would sit in a chair for days and never move, staring at the tree where the neighbor’s dog used to sleep, reliving, no doubt, the night when the chain had broken and the dog had burst through the screen door, grabbed the crying baby from her arms and shaken her like a rabbit.

No one ever knew why the dog had done such a terrible thing. No one had ever seen Eder with the dog. Yet everyone knew, in their hearts, that he had somehow caused his sister’s death. The sheriff had worried at the problem for a long time, and would probably still be worrying about it if the tire hadn’t blown on his car while he was taking a curve at high speed.

Eder still kept the dog whistle he’d used around his neck to remind him that with patience and careful planning, there was no problem that couldn’t be resolved to his satisfaction.

Luke Gallagher returned to River Rats early in the morning. He had arrived late yesterday, but the place had been closed. At six a.m., when a young man drove into the parking lot, Luke got out and met him at the door. “Jackie Glenn?”

“Yeah,” Jackie replied as he eyed the man’s suit and frowned.

“A woman was here yesterday, using a Visa with the name Carla Simon.”

“So?”

“We have reason to believe the Visa was stolen. Could you describe the woman who used it?”

Jackie laughed. “No, it was Carla. She flies in once or twice a year to do the waterfall.”

“You’re sure it was Carla Simon?”

“Positive. Boy, you Visa guys take your job seriously.”

“I’m with the FBI, Mr. Glenn.”

Jackie stepped back. “Whoa! What’s Carla done?”

“Was she with anyone?”

Jackie considered this. “Well, yes and no. She didn’t arrive with anyone, but a guy showed up for the trip.”

“Did you ask for his identification?”

Jackie laughed. “This is a rafting trip, not an airport. But I didn’t need identification. I’m a sports fan. The man was Chad Tyler.”

Chad’s involvement stunned him. “Are you sure?”

“Unless he has a double also named Chad.”

Luke frowned. “Did Ms. Simon seem surprised when he arrived?”

“Yeah, but happy surprised. In fact, I haven’t seen her that happy in a long time.”

“So she wasn’t afraid of him?”

Jackie laughed. “Hardly. Sparks of a different kind were flying, though.”

“So there appeared to be a romantic relationship between them?”

Jackie shook his head and smiled. “That’s an understatement.”

“Who seemed to be the aggressor: Carla or Chad?”

Jackie considered this. “They were both willing participants, but I’ll give Chad a slight lead.”

Luke frowned. “What time did they leave here?”

“When we got back...around four.”

“But you didn’t run the charge until several hours later.”

“It wasn’t like I was worried the charges weren’t going to go through. We’re talking megabucks.”

“So you know who Carla Simon is?”

“Good rafter, good writer.”

“So weren’t you curious why a woman who was reported as having died two days ago is alive and wanting to go rafting?”

“Dead? Why would I think she was dead?”

“She was thought to be two days ago. Don’t you watch TV?”

“I don’t own a TV.” He scratched his head and then frowned. “They said she was dead?”

“Car went off the side of a mountain,” Luke explained.

“Idiots. There should be a law against reporting someone dead when they aren’t.”

“So she didn’t tell you why she hasn’t bothered to correct this little misunderstanding?”

Jackie shook his head. “I don’t think she knows. She doesn’t watch much TV either. The YHA in Taupo doesn’t have one.”

“The YHA?”

“Youth hostel. That’s where she always stays. Funny, that. All the money in the world, and she stays at a youth hostel for eight dollars a night.”

That would have been the last place he’d have looked for her, Luke thought, making a note to locate the youth hostel. “So you think I would find her there?”

“Maybe.”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “I thought you said she always stayed there?”

“Well, she may have moved on. She usually does the Routeburn and the Abel Tasman while she’s in New Zealand. But...”

Luke looked up. “But what?”

“I got a sense that the two lovebirds wanted some time together and the YHA wasn’t going to be a suitable location.”

“So you think she might have gone back to his hotel room?”

He smiled. “If he didn’t invite her, he’s a fool, because she was putty in his hands.”

“If you hear from her, I’d appreciate it if you’d give me a call.” He handed the guy his card. “We’d really like to talk with her.”

“Sure thing,” Jackie promised, putting the card in his back pocket.

***

River Rats was the last possibility. Eder had tried three other raft companies that worked the Kaituna River. If she hadn’t been there, then he would have to hunt down the local boy.

The sign on the door said “Gone rafting”. The man looked at his watch. It would probably be hours before they returned. He pulled a silver pick from his pocket and popped the lock in a few seconds.

He closed the door behind him and turned on the light, surveying the clutter. What a pigsty. He walked up the stairs to another locked door. With a few prods, the door unlocked and he entered the office. It looked even more cluttered than downstairs. Boxes overflowing with paper were everywhere. An odd assortment of Visa charge slips and vouchers cluttered the desktop.

Meticulously, he worked his way through the mess until he found her receipt. Carla Simon...bingo! Studying the date, he was disappointed to see he’d missed her by a day. But at least he’d picked up her trail. He continued his search of the desk but found nothing more of use. He went through the file cabinets, but again nothing useful. He noticed a pair of jeans casually tossed on the chair, and checked them for a wallet. Locating it, he opened and read the name on the license...Jackie Glenn. Nothing of interest. He slid it back into the pocket, but in doing so, discovered a business card tucked inside.  It read,
Luke Gallagher, Federal Bureau of Investigation
.

He pondered why a New Zealander would have an FBI card. Noticing both the crispness and whiteness of the card, he figured the messy Glenn must have received it today. Which meant the agent had been there sometime this morning. He turned the card over. On the back, someone had written a local phone number. He pulled the phonebook from under the desk and checked through the hotels to find a match. Bingo—the Dolores in Taupo.

He replaced everything exactly as he’d found it. He had intended to question Jackie Glenn, but with the FBI so close at hand, he changed his mind. The disappearance of a witness might alert the agent that someone else was along for the hunt. No, it would be better to remain safely invisible and shadow the agent’s leads.

Chad woke as pissed as when he’d gone to sleep. Why was it women were so aggravating? He had hoped a down-to-earth gal would be less maintenance.

He sat up and scruffed up his hair. Why hadn’t she let him in? Why had she pushed him out at the first sign of trouble? But he knew why. She didn’t want to involve him in her problems, just as he didn’t want her involved in his.

Yet her problem was different. She either had a stalker or a paparazzo pursuing her, and whichever it was, she was scared. His anger dissipated. The reason she didn’t want to tell him was because she was low-maintenance. She didn’t want to dump her garbage on anyone else. He’d never known a woman remotely like her.

By the time he dressed, he felt like an idiot.

What the hell had he been thinking? They barely knew each other. They hadn’t even slept together. He had no right to be angry when she closed him out. He first needed to convince her he was in this for the long run, that she could rely on him.

Even the way she’d held the towel in front of her when he’d entered her bathroom had indicated her difference. The women he normally met would have dropped the towel and sensually removed the bathing suit as well. Their hair would have been perfectly coifed, their nails manicured and painted and their makeup accentuating every beautiful feature of their crafted faces.

For the first time since he was a teenager, Chad Taylor needed to romance and seduce a woman. He hoped to hell he remembered how.

When Chad knocked on her door, there was no answer. He pushed the door open, suddenly fearing she might have run off in the middle of the night. She lay fully dressed in last night’s clothes, curled up like a child, asleep on the bed. The laptop was open, but if it had been on, the battery had died sometime during the night.

Chad closed it and set it on the dresser. He sat down beside her and stroked her lovely hair. She woke with a start and reached out for her missing computer.

“I moved it to the dresser. The battery is run down, so I hope you have a recharger.”

“I must have fallen asleep while reading,” she murmured.

“I’m not sure you slept much at all.” The dark circles under her eyes worried him. “Why don’t you sleep in this morning, while I take care of some business?”

She smiled at him gratefully and closed her eyes.

Clearly a seduction would have to wait.

***

He had just finished his breakfast when his phone vibrated. “Chad,” he answered.

“Mr. Tyler, this is Luke Gallagher.”

“Yes, Mr. Gallagher, are you calling about Davis?” Chad’s stomach churned. He felt a bit cowardly about handing them Davis on a platter while he vacationed in New Zealand.

“Davis wasn’t on the flight,” Luke replied, his voice neutral and flat.

“That’s impossible. I saw him get on.”

“He did get on. But evidently at the last moment, he badgered the flight attendant to let him off.”

“I don’t understand. If he’s here in New Zealand, why wouldn’t he call and let me know?”

“That’s one of the many puzzles I’m trying to solve. I’d like to discuss some items in person.”

“Of course. I’m staying at 110 Lake Drive. Come over now, if you like.”

***

Chad had just returned from letting the security guard know Gallagher would be arriving when a blood-curdling scream rose from Carla’s bedroom. He took the steps four at a time and burst into her room, ready to take on the world.

She was sitting straight up in her bed, her eyes wild with fright, her clothes sopping with sweat.

“It’s all right. It was just a nightmare. You’re safe. You’re safe,” he promised as he pulled her into his arms and held her body tightly against him.

“It’s Eder. He’s going to kill me.”

“No one’s going to hurt you,” Chad promised.

“You don’t know him. No one does. But he has killed hundreds of people all over the world. He’s never failed. He’s never been caught. And now he’s after me.”

“Why would he be after you?” Chad asked, wondering how she could ever survive his world if an aggressive reporter caused her this much fear. He continued to hold her close to him, patiently waiting as the tension slowly crept from her body. As she relaxed, he felt his body fill with need.

“You are so...”

“Don’t say beautiful, or you’ll lose all credibility.”

He turned her face up towards his, so he could see her eyes. “I was going to say beautiful because that’s what I was feeling.” He paused and smiled “But now that you mention it, you do look a mess. Your hair is tangled, you’re drenched in sweat and there are big black circles under your eyes.”

“Enough!” Carla interrupted, placing her hand over his mouth. “As much as I hate lies, it doesn’t mean I actually want the truth, either.”

Chad gathered her hand in his, kissed it and placed it over his heart, with his hand covering hers. “And even in such a state, I still find you beautiful.”

For a moment, she seemed touched by his words, but then skepticism crept into her eyes. “Poor, blind man,” she muttered, leaning her head against his chest.

He was frustrated that she didn’t believe him, upset that this barrier of mistrust remained between them. He wondered if any of the women who had declared their love for him had felt as he did now. Was it possible that one of them might have been sincere, but his personal barriers had never let him see it?

The thought of Carla never trusting him tore at his heart. She must believe him! There was no other acceptable resolution.

He turned her face toward his. “Has it ever occurred to you that I see you as beautiful for reasons other than superficial looks?” He felt the tug of her chin as she tried to turn away from his stare, but he refused to release her. “Why won’t you accept that I might love you for who you are inside?”

Sadness filled her eyes. “It’s not even possible? You don’t know anything about me.”

“Then let me know you!” he demanded. “Because I’m not letting you walk out of my life so easily. There’s something about you, something so right. I knew it from the moment we spoke on the plane. I’ve never believed in soulmates and all that crap, but that’s what it feels like. The reason everyone else was not quite right was because they weren’t you.”

Carla’s eyes widened in shock. “Is it possible?” she whispered. “Is it possible for two people to feel the same?”

That was all the response Chad needed to give way to his passion. He kissed her, his mouth demanding and hungry.

Between kisses, they managed to disentangle themselves from their clothes. Her body was as beautiful as he’d imagined, and as he drove himself deep into her, he couldn’t help but revel in the perfection of their union. She was his soul-mate. She was his other half.

Afterward, they lay quietly in each other’s arms. Their bodies glistened with sweat. Chad could see the sparkle of joy in her eyes, and knew that his eyes shone with the same brightness. “That was utterly perfect.”

Carla smiled in agreement and pulled herself closer to him, laying her head on his chest.

Chad kissed her hair. God, she was so right for him, yet so wrong. She was too gentle, too honest to bear the brutal batterings of the press. The lies, the allegations, the rumors—how was he to protect her against them?

He couldn’t, and the fact doused cold water on his feelings. He gently moved her off him and sat up. “I’m expecting company, so I’d best get up and dress.”

“Who?” Carla sounded disappointed by the unwelcome intrusion of guests.

Chad didn’t reply immediately. How should he answer her? He couldn’t very well tell her that the FBI suspected him of murdering the bestselling writer Simon because the bitch’s upcoming novel was about him, his family and his career. Their relationship was still too fragile. She might run, and he was determined not to lose her.

“Chad? Will they be staying long?”

He pulled himself from his thoughts and smiled. “Not if I have anything to say about it. I’ll probably need about an hour for business, and then you’ll have my total attention. Why don’t you go back to sleep? I’ll wake you when he’s left.”

“Promise you’ll wake me?”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Promise. Now sleep.”

Chad watched her close her eyes and fall asleep, then went to his room to dress.