you,” he said.
“I take it by your refusal that you’re familiar with my writing.”
He finally looked at her. “I’m aware of your
reputation
,” he said, “not your writing. I’ve never read
any
of your books.”
“You sound pleased about that.”
“It’s just the way things are.”
“Your father always used that phrase.”
Caleb’s face tightened up, and his hands clenched in fists. Elizabeth took an involuntary step backward and brought her right hand up, ready to spray him. But he wasn’t advancing on her, and he didn’t notice her defensive posture.
His head was lowered, his arms held stiffly at his sides. He looked like an embarrassed little boy. “I am not my father,” Caleb whispered.
The door opened, and light penetrated to the front porch. “Cal?” asked Anna.
“It’s all right,” he said. “Ms. Line came over to discuss a business matter.”
Anna was a handsome woman, tall with dark brown hair and large hazel eyes, but there was a severity to her. She offered a rigid beauty with her pursed lips and narrowed eyes and set chin. She looked from Caleb to the stranger and then back to her husband again. Something was wrong, Anna knew; something had been bothering Caleb. But as usual, he hadn’t been willing to talk about it.
“Your dinner’s getting cold,” she said.
“I’ll be right in,” he said.
The two women regarded each other. Anna’s glance asked, Are you the reason my husband’s been so upset? What she read in Elizabeth’s face didn’t reassure her. Anna turned on the porch light before closing the door behind her.
“Are you—” started Elizabeth.
Caleb interrupted her. “Don’t ask me any questions,” he said. “Not here. Not now.”
“Where and when, then?”
“I walk the dog after dinner. You can meet me down the street.”
It was getting darker by the minute. There were rural spots in the neighborhood, canyons good for dog walking, but places Elizabeth didn’t want to be with this man. There would be nothing to stop him from taking the leash off the dog and turning it on her. She had seen firsthand what his father could do with a pair of panty hose.
Elizabeth suppressed her shudder. “Alternate plan,” she said. “Let’s meet at a coffee house.”
“I remember now,” he said, finally looking at her.
“Remember what?”
“People looking at me like that—that look.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your scared look. But at least you’re better than some people.”
“Which people?”
“The ones with the freak show stare. The kind who looked at me like something at the zoo.”
Elizabeth stood silently until he said, “Heavenly Café. It’s a few miles west of here on the beach. There will be enough people around for you to feel safe. I’ll be there in half an hour or so.”
Her second cup of coffee was long cold, and the crowd at Heavenly Café had thinned. The help was putting away umbrellas and tidying the patio, unmistakable signs that the welcome mat was being pulled. It was after nine o’clock, a time when most people weren’t looking for a caffeine fix. Only one other outdoor table was still occupied, and the couple sitting there looked ready to depart. Two hours had passed since Caleb Parker had promised to meet her in “half an hour or so.”
I probably shouldn’t have confronted him, Elizabeth thought. Maybe I spooked him, sent him running. Or maybe he decided to talk with a lawyer instead of me. She hoped that she hadn’t jeopardized the investigation. As she waited, Elizabeth wondered if Caleb knew how much he resembled his father. Seeing him had shocked her, had been like seeing a ghost. She also wondered if the resemblance was only skin deep.
That lingering thought made her look around. She tried to make her head movements appear casual and unconcerned, but she took notice of every dark corner. Gray Parker had often scouted out his victims, had sometimes watched them for days before
“I take it by your refusal that you’re familiar with my writing.”
He finally looked at her. “I’m aware of your
reputation
,” he said, “not your writing. I’ve never read
any
of your books.”
“You sound pleased about that.”
“It’s just the way things are.”
“Your father always used that phrase.”
Caleb’s face tightened up, and his hands clenched in fists. Elizabeth took an involuntary step backward and brought her right hand up, ready to spray him. But he wasn’t advancing on her, and he didn’t notice her defensive posture.
His head was lowered, his arms held stiffly at his sides. He looked like an embarrassed little boy. “I am not my father,” Caleb whispered.
The door opened, and light penetrated to the front porch. “Cal?” asked Anna.
“It’s all right,” he said. “Ms. Line came over to discuss a business matter.”
Anna was a handsome woman, tall with dark brown hair and large hazel eyes, but there was a severity to her. She offered a rigid beauty with her pursed lips and narrowed eyes and set chin. She looked from Caleb to the stranger and then back to her husband again. Something was wrong, Anna knew; something had been bothering Caleb. But as usual, he hadn’t been willing to talk about it.
“Your dinner’s getting cold,” she said.
“I’ll be right in,” he said.
The two women regarded each other. Anna’s glance asked, Are you the reason my husband’s been so upset? What she read in Elizabeth’s face didn’t reassure her. Anna turned on the porch light before closing the door behind her.
“Are you—” started Elizabeth.
Caleb interrupted her. “Don’t ask me any questions,” he said. “Not here. Not now.”
“Where and when, then?”
“I walk the dog after dinner. You can meet me down the street.”
It was getting darker by the minute. There were rural spots in the neighborhood, canyons good for dog walking, but places Elizabeth didn’t want to be with this man. There would be nothing to stop him from taking the leash off the dog and turning it on her. She had seen firsthand what his father could do with a pair of panty hose.
Elizabeth suppressed her shudder. “Alternate plan,” she said. “Let’s meet at a coffee house.”
“I remember now,” he said, finally looking at her.
“Remember what?”
“People looking at me like that—that look.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your scared look. But at least you’re better than some people.”
“Which people?”
“The ones with the freak show stare. The kind who looked at me like something at the zoo.”
Elizabeth stood silently until he said, “Heavenly Café. It’s a few miles west of here on the beach. There will be enough people around for you to feel safe. I’ll be there in half an hour or so.”
Her second cup of coffee was long cold, and the crowd at Heavenly Café had thinned. The help was putting away umbrellas and tidying the patio, unmistakable signs that the welcome mat was being pulled. It was after nine o’clock, a time when most people weren’t looking for a caffeine fix. Only one other outdoor table was still occupied, and the couple sitting there looked ready to depart. Two hours had passed since Caleb Parker had promised to meet her in “half an hour or so.”
I probably shouldn’t have confronted him, Elizabeth thought. Maybe I spooked him, sent him running. Or maybe he decided to talk with a lawyer instead of me. She hoped that she hadn’t jeopardized the investigation. As she waited, Elizabeth wondered if Caleb knew how much he resembled his father. Seeing him had shocked her, had been like seeing a ghost. She also wondered if the resemblance was only skin deep.
That lingering thought made her look around. She tried to make her head movements appear casual and unconcerned, but she took notice of every dark corner. Gray Parker had often scouted out his victims, had sometimes watched them for days before
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