Remember Me (35 page)

Shrugging uneasily, she looked away and replied, “I'm your wife, and it was the right thing to do, I guess. I mean, it's obvious Brett was either lying, or mistaken, there‘s no third possibility. It was the decent thing to do. The right thing to do. The only thing to do.”
Stepping forward suddenly, he bent and planted a quick kiss on her lips, then stepped back.
Looking at him shyly, she teased, “I'm going back to bed. No misbehaving while you're waiting to be exonerated, you desperado.” That said, she turned and walked to the bedroom, thinking,
Brett, you have some explaining to do...
Granger waited until she shut the bedroom door, then grinned and pumped his fist in the air, like he usually did after making a
multi-million
dollar deal. Only this victory celebration was a thousand times sweeter. Closing his eyes, he thought about the surprise he had in store for her later.

                                                
Chapter 29

Running late, Cynne' ran from room to room, looking for her black low heels. She had overslept, and the children were going on a field trip. She had to be at the home before the bus left, and since Cassandra was out, it would be tough for the rest of the staff without her help. Running into her small guest bedroom, she was relieved to find her shoes there. Quickly slipping them on, she rushed out of the room to gather her things and leave.
“MEEEOWWW!”
“Coming, Lexie!
" she called to her obese, tabby cat who was standing in the hallway making demands for the canned pork he was addicted to.
And from the tone of his cries, he was in serious need of a fix.
“Meeooowww!” he demanded less forcefully, since he now had her attention, then waddled towards her.
Running into the kitchen, she yanked open the refrigerator, pulled out an already opened can of pork, then scooped out a big helping into his cat bowl.
Gifting her with a grateful rubbing against her leg, he buried his pudgy face in the bowl and went to work, as his long, bushy tail flicked back and forth with pleasure.
Tossing the empty can in the recycle bin, she said, “See you later sweetums, and keep your furry behind off the counter! Don't think I don't know you've been sniffing around my cookie jar, trying to figure out how to get your paws inside. You DO know you leave hairs behind, don‘t you?”
Grabbing her purse, car keys, her bagged lunch and cell phone, she made a mad dash for the door, stopping only long enough to set her alarm. Opening the door, she came to an abrupt halt and let out a startled yelp, dropping all her items. Standing there was Raidon Bishop, who then leaned against the door jamb with a smug smile on his face. “Damn you! You scared me half to death! What are you doing here?” she snapped as she bent down to pick everything up.
“Why, good morning to you too, Ms. Barns! I came to speak to you, of course.” he replied, his eyes locking on her cleavage.
After gathering the items she had dropped moments before, she stood and looked at him, and the intense look in his dark eyes made her breath hitch. It had been a long time since a
man had looked at her that way. Feeling her body heat up, she knew if she didn't leave quickly, she could, and would, end up embarrassing herself. She knew men like him, and Raidon Bishop was trouble, no matter how good he looked. Narrowing her eyes, she let out an exasperated breath. “ Look, I'm late, you'll have to come back some other time.” Shooing him out of her way, she stepped outside and closed the door, then fumbled with her keys with one hand and locked it.
“Listen, I need your help. Your friend could be in grave danger.” he said.
Turning, she looked at him for a moment, and his eyes told her he was all business again, and had meant what he said. “Alright. Look, you're welcome to join me. Us, I mean. We have to leave right now though. I'm running late, we're taking the kids on a field trip today. You can tell me on the way.
" she offered.
Giving her a look that seemed to say '
I don't like kids and would rather be beaten about the head and shoulders than to have to spend any time with them…'
he gave her a stiff nod, mumbling something about all the hoops he had to jump through for his clients.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” he muttered as he reached out, offering to help carry her things. “You can ride with me, and I'll give you a ride home when the day is done.” he said as he turned and led the way to his Hummer, where he placed all her things in the back seat.
Looking at her watch, she knew she didn't have time to argue about taking her own car. Following him quickly, she made her way around to the passenger side and was about to open the door when he stepped around, opened the door for her, then took her hand and helped her up inside.
Well, at least he has manners…
she thought as she sat down, but quickly changed her mind when she saw him gawking at her thighs, which had been mostly exposed as her mid-length skirt had rose up. Snatching her skirt back in place, she gave him a hard look, reached out with one hand and nudged him aside, then slammed her door shut.
Did he like what he saw?
She couldn't help but wonder as she watched him jog around to the
driver’s
side and slide behind the wheel.
“Buckle up, dear.” he chirped merrily as he started the engine and pulled out.
Buckling her seatbelt, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye from time to time as he drove in silence, studying his handsome, chiseled features. She had to admit, he was an extraordinarily good looking man. She could tell he had a mixture of Asian and Caucasian heritage. His tall frame and raven hair, which was pulled back with a leather tie, dressed in nothing but black, and muscles rippling from his tight shirt, gave him a bad boy look that made her stomach flip-flop in spite of herself.
“Well, are you finished ogling me? If so, we can discuss what I need your help with.” he finally spoke in an amused voice.
“What?” she sputtered indignantly, her face heating up instantly as she averted her eyes.
“I'm a private detective, love. Or have you forgotten already?” he smirked.
“I...you wish, you...you....arrogant, insufferable...” she stammered, at a rare loss for words.
Chuckling, he actually couldn't help but wonder what she really thought of him. Forcing himself to focus on the business at hand, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I got the results of the lab tests, and Cassandra's blood work back. Seems the good doctor has been giving her a very dangerous combination of Kedmine, and a few other drugs that are strong hallucinogens. That's most likely the reason she can't remember the attack.” he said, then glanced at her quickly, a somber look on his face.
Like a damn bursting under considerable pressure, she exploded, cursing a blue streak. “Why, that sneaky, no good son of a bald-headed whore, I'm going to cut his nuts off! He's no better than the low life drug dealers I used to....turn this thing around, NOW!” she demanded, her outrage so completely overwhelming that she forgot all about the field trip. Her breathing was rapid, and her small hands, which were now both balled into tight fists, were trembling. I've lost so much because of drugs,
I'm not letting it happen to Cassandra. I'll kill that bastard first!
She
thought.
Not surprised in the least by her outburst, after all, he knew that her and Cassandra were as close as sisters, he glanced at her again, worriedly. He needed her thinking straight. He also didn't want her going after Brett Parker. She may be a spit-fire, but he knew she would be no match for that crazy bastard. “Calm down, sugar.” he said in a soothing voice. “Screaming and cursing won't get us anywhere.”
Nostrils flaring, she shot back, “Don't call me that! My name is Cynne' not 'sugar'!” Crossing her arms like a rebellious child, she glared at him in a challenging manner, as if daring him to refute her reply.
Sighing heavily, he turned his attention back to the road. Dealing with women and their emotions had never been his strong suit, yet one more reason he wasn't big on serious commitments. “Listen, Cynne', not only is Brett Parker a psychopath, who I believe has killed more than once, I also believe he had something to do with Cassandra's disappearance. If we're not careful, we'll never find out who all is involved. Trust me, I think someone meant to kill her. I believe she survived that assault by the sheer grace of God.“
“He better hope and pray HE survives, by the grace of God, once I'm finished with HIM.” was her heated retort.
Reaching up on the dashboard, he grabbed a file that was sitting there, then handed it to her. “Just so you know exactly what type of animal we're up against here, I want you to take a look at these photos. I swiped them from Brett's office. This is deadly serious business,
Cynne'. Matter of fact, this guy may very well be the most dangerous man I've ever come up against. I'm not talking about the brawn type of dangerous, I'm talking about the seriously deranged type of dangerous. Yet he's as crafty as a fox, at the same time. An extremely unhealthy combination for anyone who crosses him. I don't want to see you get hurt.”
Slowly opening the folder, she gasped, horror washing over her as she took one glance at only one photo, then flipped the file shut. Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on calming her now-churning stomach. Still numb with horror, she asked, more to herself than him, “How did she survive?” Opening her eyes, she blinked back tears and her vision blurred as she looked in his direction. “You said before you could find no record of her being in any hospital. A person couldn't survive those kinds of injuries without proper medical care.”
Coming to a stop at a red light, he looked at her again. “No hospital in this country, anyway. But I did find out that right about the time Cassandra went missing, Brett chartered a medical flight. Him, and a nurse, Bev Fletcher, flew with a patient to Mexico.” Turning his attention back to the road, he made a left turn as the light turned green, heading in the direction of the children's home and school.
Reigning in her anger, she asked, “What exactly is it you need me to do?”
“Accompany me on a little trip. It shouldn't take longer than four days.”
“Alright, if it's strictly business, to help my friend. I'm pretty sure I can get the time off.”
Pulling into the school parking lot, he parked close by the waiting school bus that would be taking the kids on the field trip.
Seeing the sudden look of dread on his face, it was her turn to chuckle as she wiped her eyes again. “Come along, they're ready to go,
sugar
. It's just kids, they
won’t
hurt you, you big, strong stud-muffin you.” she teased.
Climbing out of the Hummer, she made her way towards the bus as Raidon reached into the back and gathered her things together, then locked the vehicle.
She greeted Sister Katherine and Sister Theresa, who were trying to organize the rambunctious children and load them onto the bus, and apologized for being late.
Suddenly a young read-headed boy broke from the pack and ran towards Cynne', calling her name. Glancing at him irritably, Raidon thought the child's smile was demonic.
“Ms. Cynne', I have something for you?” he said sweetly, looking up at her with wide-eyed innocence.
Smiling, she bent over in order to be at eye-level with her little admirer, and replied “Well,
how sweet of you! What do you have for me, Danny?”
Watching the interaction between Cynne' and the boy, the thought crossed Raidon's mind that she seemed a natural with children.
“Close your eyes and hold out your hand.” the boy said in an innocent voice.
Seeing her hesitate for a second, he giggled, “It's really, really special, and I got it jussssst for you.”
Raidon got an uneasy feeling from the evil gleam in the kid's eyes. Years of experience on his job had made him an expert on observation, body language, and human behavior, and he wasn't fooled for one second by the boy's sweet smoke screen. But he decided to say nothing, for two reasons. First, the possibility did exist that he could be wrong, which would embarrass and hurt the lad's feelings. Second, he knew if that happened, it would hurt his chances of getting closer to Cynne'.
“Oh, alright.” Cynne' smiled as she held out her hand and closed her eyes.
Eyes beaming with pleasure, the boy put his hands, which were still cupped together, into her hand, and released the squirming surprise.
Slowly opening her eyes, Cynne's gaze locked onto what was there, then she stumbled backwards abruptly, shaking her hands wildly and releasing an earth-shattering scream as all other activity around her came to a halt.
Unhurt, the tiny garden snake that had been in her hands only seconds before slithered away frantically.
Wild-eyed and still screaming, she whirled and propelled herself towards Raidon, leaping onto him, making him drop her things and nearly toppling him over.
Locking her arms around his neck, she screamed “
KILL IT! KILL IT!
KILL IT!
” as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist.
The demon-boy, Danny, was now doubled over laughing. He howled and slapped his knee, as tears streamed down his red, freckled face.
Raidon was trying to gently calm Cynne', trying tell her the snake was gone, but she was having none of it. Prying her off him with some difficulty, he held her at
arm’s length
, then shook her. “It's gone, you hear me, GONE!” he implored as he struggled to keep a straight face himself. As her sobs of fear and rage slowly subsided, he pulled her close to him and began rubbing her back to comfort her. “It's gone.” he cooed in a soothing voice.
“What happened here, what's going on?” Sister Katherine demanded as she strode forward and eyed Raidon suspiciously.
He pointed to Danny, who was now standing there with an innocent, angelic look on his face, hands behind his back. “That little son-of-a......” his voice faltered when he
remembered he was talking to a nun, “He asked her to close her eyes for a surprise, and he put a little garden snake in her hand.”
“You big, dumb tattletale! Narc!” Danny cried indignantly as his eyes narrowed and he stuck out his tongue.
Walking up to the boy, Sister Katherine began tapping him on the top of the head with one fingernail, like a hen pecking at the dirt. “Danny...Francis....Smith, what has gotten into you? You know good and well Ms. Barns is deathly afraid of snakes!”
Grabbing him by one ear, she led him away as he stuck his tongue out at Raidon one last time.