A Stolen Chance (7 page)

So, Susan was alive. He snickered. His naive little wife had developed claws. Guess she’d finally grown some backbone, too. Good. Nothing worse than a whipped-down woman. He didn’t want her cringing in a corner when he caught up with her.

They’d once been a happy couple. Then he’d gone into debt and gotten involved with Leo and his illegal activities. Dewayne enjoyed the money, the drugs, and the women. Susan rode his ass, cried, and threatened to leave him. No woman walked out on him. Marriage was forever. His mama had drilled her Bible teachings into him. When he’d finally had enough of Susan’s whining, he hit her to shut her up. She’d gone to the police, and then the feds. The last time he’d hit her, he’d meant to kill her.

The drugs fed a wickedness inside him to the point that he lost control. He’d enjoyed hurting her—and screwing her—as she begged him to stop. He shuddered at the memory of her tight little body and how much fun it would be to break her again. One last time.

****

Shannon pulled into a fast-food place in Grants, New Mexico. Few cars surrounded the place. It was after dinnertime, and her stomach growled loudly enough to be heard over the radio. It wasn’t her favorite burger place, but they had good salads. Plus, she’d be able to use their free wireless internet service. She’d not been online the entire week of camping in Chaco Canyon. The area was too isolated for cellular service. She needed an update on the explosion and fire.

Susan carried her tray to a booth in a less crowded section. Anxious to check the news, she started eating while her laptop booted. She’d bookmarked the Chicago newspapers and scanned the articles in each one until she found what she looked for—the identity of the body in her house.
Body found in fire not that of Susan Lawton.
Shannon breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God her parents now knew for a fact she wasn’t dead.
The identity of the individual is yet unknown. The body is of a woman thirty to thirty-five years of age. Actual cause of death will be determined after an autopsy is performed. Authorities are asking Susan Lawton to come forward to answer questions. The fire was intentionally set from within the home. Her ex-husband has been identified as a person of interest. Just released from...

The fire was set from within? Susan shivered in revulsion. Had Dewayne somehow gotten inside and killed Lauren before setting the fire that caused the explosion? Her stomach lurched at the horror Lauren must have experienced. Dammit. Why didn’t she get out of the house like they’d planned? Had Dewayne set the fire after killing Lauren, or had Lauren rigged the house to blow up? Susan might never know.

****

Carson, on his way to bed, paused when a vehicle stopped outside his cottage.
Shit. Can’t you read the No Vacancy sign?
He was dead tired but stepped back into his shoes and started for the door. Hans waited, his eyes following Carson’s every movement. Someone knocked.

He opened the door.

Shannon Langley stood outside, her expression hesitant, as if she struggled to decide whether to stay or run.

Carson resisted the urge to whoop. It wouldn’t do to scare her away. Plus, being so glad to see her wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It’d be too easy for him to become attached to this woman.

She looked great, her hair loose and brushing her cheek. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I’m sorry to stop by so late.”

“It’s not a problem.” He stepped back. “Come in.”

“No, but thank you.” She looked back toward the road. “I see you have a No Vacancy sign, but I wondered if I could park my van here again.” Head tilted, she grinned and leaned down to scratch Hans’s neck. “I thought about the abandoned motel but feared Hans would rat on me.”

“Got that right, huh, boy?”

The dog woofed and his tail beat a blissful rhythm on the carpet.

“You need electricity?”

“Yes, please, but this time I insist on paying.” She removed her wallet from the purse hanging from her shoulder.

“You can pay on one condition.”

Her smile wilted and brow furrowed. “What condition?”

“You’ll come in for breakfast in the morning.”

“You’ve got a deal.”

Chapter Six

Susan didn’t know exactly what had prompted her to return to Siesta. Was it Leona’s encouraging words? Or those of the Indian warrior? She snorted. Not likely. Lordy, she must’ve been drugged, to have imagined the dancers in her campfire and hear the music. Maybe somehow she’d sampled a tad of peyote.
Yeah, like it dropped from the heavens into my cup of coffee.
No, more likely the stress of her situation caused her imagination to run wild.

She hopped out of bed and turned the thermostat up to sixty-eight degrees, then hunkered back down in her sleeping bag to wait for the van to warm up. It was decision time. She needed an excuse to stay here, one that wouldn’t arouse suspicion. Health leave? That was an idea. She’d pretend to be getting her strength back from some illness. A specific disease would have to wait, as nothing in particular came to mind. Hopefully he wouldn’t quiz her.

Maybe he’d need a website designed for the motel and restaurant? If he couldn’t afford her services, she could always work for camper hookup and meals. She’d have a place to stay for a month or so and would have time to explore the area, too.

The café was in full swing when Susan entered. Hans woofed in welcome. Carson carried plates to tables but glanced up and flashed a smile. Her lips twitched in response.

Leona bustled over and hugged her. “I’m so glad you came back, child.”

“Thank you, Leona. This is such a friendly place I couldn’t resist returning and getting to know the people and the area better.”

She didn’t fool the older woman. One eyebrow rose a notch, but she smiled. “Good, good. Have a seat over there.” Patting Susan’s shoulder, Leona eased Susan in the direction of a table at the back of the room. “Carson will be with you in a minute. Want some coffee?”

“I’d love a cup.”

Susan hung her purse on the back of her chair and sat down, scanning the room. She noticed several people studying her with interest. For some reason their perusal didn’t scare her. Maybe it was the family atmosphere in the place. From the conversations and comments back and forth between tables, most everyone knew each other. One person in particular—an attractive, thirtyish woman moving among the tables and refilling cups—eyed Shannon intently. She wore tight jeans and a T-shirt that emphasized smallish breasts that jiggled freely as she moved about the room. When the brunette caught Susan scrutinizing her, Susan smiled at her and broke eye contact. So, it appeared Carson had found a waitress.

A cup of coffee appeared on the table in front of her. “Good morning.” She glanced up as Carson set another cup across from her. “Know what you want to eat?”

A few minutes later he returned with two plates of food and sat down with a sigh. “Man, I needed a break. Food service is tiring work.”

Susan could imagine, what with standing all day. When she looked up from her plate, she caught Carson studying her. Heat rose to her cheeks. She resisted the urge to cover the faint scars on her face. The surgeon had assured her they looked like nothing more than age lines.

“You look good this morning—rested.”

She relaxed. Yeah, she’d slept well. Making a decision helped. “Thank you. I did sleep well.” She grinned. “I guess having Hans nearby for protection eased my mind.”

He clapped his hand to his chest and laughed. Shannon’s heart thumped at the sound—and stopped all together at the dimples that appeared in his cheeks.

“I’m sorely wounded that you doubt my ability to defend and protect damsels in distress.”

She giggled. A first for her in several weeks. Her humor vanished. She didn’t want anyone to be responsible for her care, to go against Dewayne if he came for her.

“Shannon?”

She stiffened and met his eyes.

“Are you running from someone? Someone trying to hurt you—an abusive husband or boyfriend?” Yes, the man was intuitive, maybe too much so for her to stay here.

“No, what makes you think that?”

“The expression on your face.”

“Oh, that. I was remembering something from my past.”

His furrowed brow indicated he wasn’t convinced.

“Really. I’m on health leave from my job and plan to tour this area.”

“So, we might see more of you around here?”

“More coffee, honey?” The new waitress appeared between them with a pot in her hand.

Shannon wasn’t sure who the “honey” was directed to, but the woman never took her eyes off Carson. Her expression resembled a cat about to enjoy a bowl of cream. Shannon watched Carson to see if he encouraged her interest. She bristled at the blatant sexual suggestiveness of the other woman. Surely Carson could see through her machinations and realize her intent. Was she staking a claim?

“Yes, Gina, thanks.” He raised a brow in question in Susan’s direction, and she nodded. “Fill both our cups.”

“You’re welcome, honey.” She leaned forward and poured, her breasts on a level with Carson’s eyes. When Shannon caught him looking, his face reddened.

Smile of satisfaction on her face, the waitress filled Shannon’s cup and moved away to other customers.

Shannon couldn’t resist asking, “She wasn’t here the other day. Is she new?”

“Yeah. I’d hoped you’d come back and take the job.”

“Me?” Shannon looked around the room. She could do it, if she had to, but to maintain her image of being on health leave, she’d be safer not to appear to need work. “I appreciate the thought, but I wouldn’t want to take a job from one of the locals. Plus, I’m on paid leave, so I don’t need the money.”

“Ah, a woman of leisure.”

“Well, no, I wouldn’t say that. I’m still working on several accounts. I design websites in my spare time.” It hadn’t been her main career path, as she’d worked as a programmer until she resigned several months ago from the large firm where she’d worked for the past eight years. Her web design business was small, but she hoped to expand and obtain more clients in the near future.

He sat up straighter. “Really? Would you consider creating one for me? I’d like to bring in more business.”

“Sure.” This was working out perfectly. “How about we trade services? Free hookups and meals for three weeks in exchange for the website.”

His eyes narrowed, brow furrowed. He sat back and folded his arms across his chest. “Nope, can’t do that.”

Oh, shoot. She’d asked for too much, or maybe he couldn’t afford losing that much income.

“How about we trade for room and board? You must get tired of being cramped up in your camper van. You can stay in cabin number one.”

She’d love getting out of the van for awhile, being able to stretch her legs.

“Of course, you’ll have to share with the resident ghost.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Afraid not. Word is, guests leave in the middle of the night. Can’t get out of here fast enough.”

From her childhood experiences, she believed ghosts existed, but she hadn’t seen one in years. Her experience in Chaco Canyon had unnerved her somewhat. She wasn’t about to share that little tidbit, though. No, what she’d seen in her campfire was the result of stress and grief. Not a ghost.

“If you’re afraid, we can do the hookups.”

“The ghost and I will get along just fine.” It’d be nice having a real bathroom, a convenience she had missed the last couple of weeks on the road. She’d develop a great website for Carson and, when her three weeks were up, decide what she wanted to do—settle here or move on.

****

Dewayne cringed as Leo Sharp’s grating laugh echoed through his cell phone. “The lady rigged an extension cord to spark when the door opened.”

What lady? Who was fool enough to blow themselves up for a friend? Surely Susan hadn’t murdered the woman. Nah, she wasn’t capable of hurting an animal, much less a human being. She’d always been a sap. “Has the body been identified yet?”

The voice sobered. “Nope. Has the cops stumped. No one’s reported a woman missing. Her DNA isn’t in the system. It was a well-hatched plan, that’s for sure.”

Yeah, she’d outsmarted him for now, but that would change. He’d find the bitch.

“How you doin’, Dewayne, son? Face healed? Doc said you’d carry some ugly scars for the rest of your life.” He snickered.

Dewayne cleared his throat. “Exactly. I look like a freak.” Yeah, it was another mark against his ex, and it was mighty unkind of Leo to rub his disfigurement in.
Sorry shit!

“Well, I’ll have a job for you soon. Save some of that hostility for the mark I have for you.”

Dewayne shuddered. It was one thing to murder someone he despised, something altogether different to kill an unknown. But he owed Leo.

“Who is it?”

“Call me in two days. I’ll have the details.” The phone went dead.

****

Just after noon, Susan hung the last of her few clothes in the closet. The folded ones lay neatly in the small dresser situated under the front window. Though old, cabin number one was well-maintained. The rustic wood furniture bore a patina born of constant use. Susan loved the adobe fireplace with its rough-hewn mantel. She ran a finger over one of the colorful tiles inserted below the wood shelf. The porcelain squares also adorned the curved hearth. She wondered if the geometric pattern had some meaning.