Tracie Peterson (13 page)

“But Mom and Dad have been worried about you, too,” Danielle stated.

“You can’t let them know you’ve even talked to me. Not yet. Look, I’m living in an out-of-the-way place off of west Highway 24. You go south on Hodges Road until it dead-ends. I live in the old white house near the river levee. It’s on the left and easy to spot. Can you come?”

“Sure, but I still don’t understand.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Teri insisted. “I’ll explain it all to you when you get here. How about tonight? Say around eight?”

“Can’t I see you sooner?”

“No, I need to take care of some other business, and I’m not sure I can be back here before then.”

Just then, Danielle heard a baby’s cry from the other end of the line. “Teri, who’s crying?”

“I’ll tell you all about it when you come tonight. Look, I
can’t hang on. Please don’t tell anyone you’ve talked to me. It’s really important, okay?”

“Sure, Teri. I’ll see you tonight.”

****

The phone call to Danielle was exactly the break Russell Owens needed. After weeks of detective work and failed leads, he was finally going to be able to take care of their little problem with Bob’s past. Kerns hadn’t been too kind when Russell had showed up in Wichita shortly before the Fourth of July, only to announce that Teri Davis was nowhere to be found.

As Kerns had put it, this wasn’t an optional job. It was something that had to be ended quickly. The closer it got to the election, the more trouble it could be. Now with the election only weeks away, Russell was running out of time.

The girl was smart, he had to give her that. She apparently hadn’t given birth in any Kansas or Missouri hospital and wasn’t signed up to receive welfare. Russell had turned the Vital Statistics and Social and Rehabilitation Services upside down trying to find even a single piece of paper that would evidence Teri’s existence. There was none to be found.

Looking at the notes he’d made, Russell gave the audio surveillance equipment a pat.
I should call Kerns and give him the good news,
he thought. He picked up the telephone, then put it back down. No, he’d wait until the job was done and Teri Davis was no more of a threat to the campaign. Then, once the problem was eliminated, Russell could join up with Kerns on the campaign trail and see about getting rid of Serena Perez.

But eliminating Teri Davis and her child was the one thing that truly bothered Russell. He didn’t mind the thought of erasing a potential threat, he was just hard-pressed to trust anyone to get the job done. He had gone through a list of people that Kerns had supplied, but every time he started to consider one of them, Russell could only think of the guy as a future witness against him.

“I’ll do it myself,” he said, making his final decision aloud. There was far less risk that way. He went to his desk drawer and reached into the far back. Slowly, almost ceremonially, he pulled the .45 semiautomatic from the drawer. The stainless steel barrel caught the light from his desk lamp, causing the gun to glow in his hands.

“If you want a job done right . . . do it yourself,” he muttered as he pulled back the slide.

Eighteen

Teri had just placed Jamie in the bathtub when a knock sounded at her door. She glanced at her watch. It was only seven-thirty, but no doubt Danielle was anxious to find out what was going on. She wrapped Jamie in a rough worn towel and snuggled her close for warmth.

“You’re early,” she said, pulling the door open, the chain still in place. Expecting to find Danielle staring back at her, Teri wasn’t prepared for the sight of the dark-clad man. “Who are you?”

“I’m a friend,” he announced.

“I don’t have any friends,” Teri replied.

“What about Cara Kessler and Danielle Kerns?” the man called back.

Teri’s heart stopped beating for a moment, then she fumbled with the door chain and opened the door. The man pushed up gold wire-framed glasses. “I know them, but I don’t know you,” she said suspiciously.

“You went to see Cara Kessler today, right?” the man said in a hopeful tone.

“Yeah, so what?”

“So, Cara was real worried about you. She found out that Kerns is cutting his campaign trip short, and she’s afraid he’ll manage to locate you when he returns.”

“But unless Cara has said something to him about me, Kerns doesn’t even know I’m here in Topeka.”

The man shrugged. “Cara just sent me to get you to a safe place. She says it’s important you come see her right away. She has to discuss this situation with you and decide what’s to be done.”

Teri eyed him for a moment longer. It was true she’d gone to see Cara Kessler. In fact, that was what had taken her away from home most of the day. She’d been keeping in touch, usually by phone, with Cara. But she was always careful to use a pay phone in town. She even used a different pay phone each time, just in case someone tried to trace the call. Now here was a complete stranger standing in her doorway, expecting her to go with him.

“I can’t leave. I’m expecting company.”

“Cara said it was a matter of life and death,” the man replied. “Why don’t you dress the baby and I’ll wait here to drive you into town.”

Jamie was starting to fuss from her uncomfortable position, and Teri couldn’t argue the point of dressing the child. “Okay. Just give me a minute.”

She went to the well-worn couch, where a package of diapers and change of clothes were already waiting. Unwrapping Jamie, she placed the diaper on the baby and was just pulling open the sticky tabs when it suddenly dawned on her. She hadn’t given her address to Cara. The hair on the back of her neck began to prickle. Cara couldn’t have sent this man.

Whirling around, Teri noticed beads of perspiration on the man’s forehead. “I think I’d like to call Cara first.”

Pulling out a gun, the man motioned to the couch. “Get that brat dressed and hurry up.”

Teri felt the color drain from her face. Her hands shook so badly she couldn’t do up the little buttons on Jamie’s pajamas.

“Come on.” He yanked her arm and threw her a bag. “Get what you need for the baby. You’re going on a little trip.”

“Who are you?” Teri finally managed to say.

The man smiled at her with cold indifference. “Let’s just say I’m a close friend of Jamie’s father.”

****

Danielle was more than a little disgusted by the evening’s turn of events. A flat tire had rendered her without transportation while she waited for over an hour for the repair service to come to her rescue. Then, when the serviceman had announced the tire had been slashed and was beyond repair,
Danielle was further delayed by getting the car towed to the service station for a new tire.

Finally on the road and heading north on Highway 75, Danielle heard the disc jockey announce the time as nine-thirty. Smacking the flat of her palm on the steering wheel, Danielle winced in pain. She’d desperately wanted to call and explain the delay to her friend, but she didn’t have the telephone number.

“By the time I get there, I’ll be almost two hours late,” she muttered to no one. Taking the cloverleaf exchange to Highway 24, Danielle couldn’t shake the feeling that she already knew what Teri was going to tell her. It all seemed to make sense now. The fact that Teri had just disappeared without a word and the baby crying in the background. She must have gotten pregnant, Danielle decided, but she saw no reason why Teri had to run away from their friendship.

Nearly nine miles west of town, Danielle had to rely on her headlights to locate Hodges Road. It was the kind of night that seemed to snuff out the light from every source, and even her car lights didn’t seem to reach far into the thick blackness.

Finally the sign appeared and Danielle breathed a sigh of relief. Her relief, however, was short-lived. The gravel road was darker still, and the only light around was a pinpoint porch light in the distance.

Pulling into Teri’s narrow dirt drive, Danielle couldn’t find a sign of anyone. The porch light, which had belonged to another house far to the north, offered her nothing in the way of help.

Cautiously she got out of the car. The rushing sound of the river just beyond the levee and the wind in the trees gave Danielle an eerie feeling of isolation. She lost little time making her way to the house.

“Teri!” she called out and knocked loudly on the door. “Teri!”

There was no reply.

Looking in the darkened window, Danielle felt a shiver of
apprehension. A dog barked in the distance and something flew overhead in the moonless sky.

“Teri, it’s me, Danielle. Open up!”

Still, there was no answer.

Getting up her courage, Danielle walked around the house. Finding no sign of Teri, Danielle made her way back to the car. She was scared through and through, but her apprehension had more to do with Teri than with the frightening darkness. Tripping, she reached down to find that she’d put her foot into a small empty box. She yanked it off and held it up to her face.

“Baby cereal,” she read, barely able to make out the words.

She moved to where the outline of a trash barrel caught her eye and threw the box in. White lumpy forms caught her attention and Danielle gingerly lifted one out to find a disposable diaper.

“Teri has a baby,” she whispered. It confirmed her earlier beliefs. “Oh, Teri. I would have understood.” She dropped the diaper and went to her car.

If Teri had a baby, then she’d need as much help and emotional support as Danielle could possibly give. The only question was, where was Teri?

Nineteen

Cara sat trying to have a normal conversation with Melissa. From the moment her friend had arrived at the apartment, Cara’s mind had been too preoccupied with Teri Davis to give Melissa much consideration. Even after Brianna had pestered them to come outside and watch her skate, Cara had found it impossible to turn off her thoughts.

“All right, I give up,” Melissa finally said, shifting in the lawn chair. “You’re a million miles away.”

Cara offered a weak smile. “I’m poor company, huh?”

Brianna whirled by them and waved.

“She certainly is growing up fast,” Melissa remarked.

“Yes, I’m amazed at it myself,” Cara murmured.

“But that’s not what’s bothering you, and I happen to know that you and Harry have had several very nice dates, despite your campaign schedule. So what gives?”

“Teri Davis,” Cara replied flatly. “She promised to call me last night. She’s been pretty faithful about checking in. I’m worried something has happened to her, Melissa.”

“Well, we could go look for her.”

Cara shook her head. “Where? Where in all of Topeka would we start?”

“It would have to be a low-income area if what she told you about living off the five thousand is true.” Just then Melissa’s beeper went off. “Hey, can I use your phone?”

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll round up Brianna.”

“I’ve got to run,” Melissa announced as Cara came back into the living room. Already she was grabbing up her things. “Some big story is breaking and I have to cover it because the regular feature writer is sick.”

Cara walked her to the front door. “I promise to be better company next time.”

Melissa smiled. “You’d better be! Hey, this is timing,” she added and waved at the man coming up the sidewalk. “How’s it going, Harry?”

Harry Oberlin flashed a smile at the two women. Dressed comfortably in jeans and a polo shirt, he looked ready for a day of play.

“My day is almost perfect,” he replied.

“Well mine just got a bit busier,” Melissa announced and rushed past him. “I’m on my way to cover up-to-the-minute breaking news.”

Harry laughed at the vivacious woman’s words, but his eyes were for Cara only. “Hi, there. I thought maybe we could take Brianna to Gage Park and have a picnic. Interested?”

“It sounds great. I love this warm weather,” Cara managed to say without sounding too nervous. “The only problem is I have to be back by five. I’m doing a campaign dinner tonight.”

“No problem.” Harry seemed genuinely at ease with her nonstop schedule. “I already have everything in the car.” He grinned infectiously. “You know, just in case you said yes.”

****

Harry watched Cara with undisguised interest. “So will you let me fly you around Kansas if Kerns is elected governor?” he questioned. He studied her for a moment, then added, “Better yet, I could take you out flying now, just for the fun of it.”

Cara laughed and continued pulling out food from the picnic basket. “I’ll just be glad when all of this is over. You know, for the first time I think it will work out all right. Governor Glencoe is so popular, I don’t see how Bob Kerns can hold a candle to him.”

“I don’t know, Cara. I may be telling tales out of school, but Glencoe is worried. He said you and Bob represent something he hasn’t got.”

“What’s that?”

“A visual focus on the future. He’s an old man and he knows it, and his lieutenant governor isn’t well liked or prepared to
take on more responsibility. Glencoe’s been called a stagnating parasite, and worse.”

“I find that so hard to believe,” Cara replied, sitting down across from Harry at the cement picnic table.

“Kerns’ campaign ads have hit him harder than he’s likely to let on. Normally, I wouldn’t be saying anything to you about it, but I already know how you feel about Kerns and this campaign.”

“I don’t want to be the lieutenant governor,” Cara stated matter-of-factly. “I’m tired of the whole game already. What’s it going to be like if Kerns actually wins this thing and I have to sit in the Capitol day after day?”

“Hey, cheer up, the last few lieutenant governors have been living in Wichita.”

“Great, that’s just what I need. Another major change in our lives.”

“Change can be good,” Harry said with a wink. He reached out his hand and covered hers. “I like the change you’ve brought into my life.” He thought it pretty the way she blushed and lowered her eyes, charmingly embarrassed by her feelings.

Cara Kessler is one incredibly special lady,
he’d decided long before this day. He’d thanked God on more than one occasion for the chance to get to know her better, and always after they’d shared the day or evening together, Harry went home with a better sense of accomplishment. Cara had changed his life in so many ways—giving him perspective, direction, purpose. He wasn’t just spinning his wheels anymore. Now he had his eyes on the future and knew that he wanted that future to include Cara and her daughter.