Authors: Missy Martine
“Friends? I was under the impression you just met them.”
She raised her chin. “When someone saves your life, the friendship comes even faster.”
“Ahhh, yes. I suppose I should thank you for rescuing my little girl. Although, I should point out that you wouldn’t have needed rescuing if you’d stayed where I put you and not wandered off.”
Eric heard David growl and moved to stand in front of him. It was too soon to have a confrontation with the old fool.
“Is that what happened?” he asked.
“Laynee wandered away from your camp?”
Robert nodded and moved further into the room. “I was busy unloading the car when she disappeared.”
David snorted. “And she got far enough away you couldn’t find her?
How is that possible? She couldn’t move very fast through an unknown forest.”
“It’s obvious you haven’t been around my daughter long if you think she can’t move quickly through new areas. She’s always had an adventurous spirit.”
“You and Laynee were camping alone?” Eric asked. When Robert hesitated, Eric took a step closer. “When we got in touch with the sheriff’s office, that’s what they told us.”
Laynee frowned, playing her part well. “Then they didn’t listen very well.
Father’s friend, Jeremy, was with us.”
“Did Jeremy search for Laynee as well?” asked Eric.
“No, he went for help while I searched. I didn’t want to waste any time since she’s handicapped.”
Laynee fairly bristled at his words.
“Actually, I had help getting around. A very large dog found me and helped lead me toward the road where I met up with David and Eric.”
Robert’s lips thinned. “As I said, I owe you my thanks.” He turned to Laynee. “You never answered Edward’s question. How long are your friends planning on staying?”
Eric took Laynee’s hand. “We’ve got business in the area, and Laynee graciously offered to put us up while we’re here. It’s an open-ended invitation because we don’t know how long our business will take.”
Robert looked them up and down and smirked. “And what business brings you to the city, Mr. Wind River?”
“Feel free to call me Eric. We own Shifting Adventures in Glacier. We lead hunters on photographic hunts and organize white-water rafting trips.
We’re checking out a couple of companies here that supply equipment that we use. They’re fairly new, and we want to check out what they have to offer.”
“Well, gentlemen, feel free to enjoy our hospitality. I had the servants make up two of the guest rooms when Maysie told me you were coming.”
David nodded. “We appreciate your hospitality, sir.”
Robert frowned. “Edward, please show Laynee and her guests to their rooms, and let Maysie know I’d like dinner served in an hour.”
Edward bowed lightly. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to Miss Laynee’s room first.” He turned toward the stairs and picked up the two small bags they’d left in the entryway. Silently, he made his way up the regal staircase.
David took Laynee’s arm, placed her hand on the banister, and then stepped back to let her navigate on her own.
When they reached the top, Edward turned right. He passed two closed doors and then opened the third one, moving off to the side so Laynee could enter first.
Eric followed her to the door and glanced inside. The room was definitely appropriate for a girl. Pink flounced ruffles trailed floor-length curtains. A glorious brass bed with ruffled pillows stood on pale pink carpet. The room was sweet enough to give him cavities, and totally wrong for Laynee.
“Which of these bags belongs to Miss Laynee?” asked Edward.
Laynee groaned. “None of them. I don’t have anything with me, Edward.
Everything I owned was in father’s car when he disappeared.”
Edward’s eyebrows shot up. “When he disappeared, Miss?”
Laynee cocked her head and put one hand on her waist. “Yes, when he disappeared. Come on, Edward. You and I have been Internet buddies for years. Do you really think I’d wander off in the forest alone?”
Edward put down the suitcases and walked over to pull Laynee into a hug.
“I’m so sorry, Miss. I knew something wasn’t right about that story. What are you going to do?”
Eric moved to look into Edward’s eyes and saw nothing but genuine caring for Laynee. “We’re gonna try and figure out why he did it and keep Laynee safe in the process.”
Edward took a step back. “Earlier, Maysie told me she caught Mr. Robert rummaging through Mr. Weather’s desk.
He’d pulled the drawers clean out and was searching the empty holes. She heard him say, ‘Where did you hide the combination to the safe, old man?’
before he knew she was there. When she asked him what he was doing, he said he was still trying to settle Mr. Weather’s estate, and as eccentric as he was, he might have hidden valuables everywhere.”
“Sounds like he’s getting desperate,”
said David.
Eric looked at Edward. “Can we trust you, Edward?”
The older man crossed his heart with a finger. “Absolutely, sir. Mr. Weathers adored Miss Laynee, and we’ve all been looking forward to the day she might come and live here.”
Eric studied him for a moment and then nodded. “Okay, then you should know that we had an investigator check into things when we found Laynee. She’d been drugged and left to die in the woods.”
Edward gasped, his hands coming up to cover his mouth. “Oh, no, poor miss.”
“We also found that Mr. Weathers left his entire estate to Laynee, lock, stock, and barrel.”
Edward took a deep breath. “Thank the Lord. Maysie had already said she’d leave if Mr. Robert moved in and took over, and I don’t mind saying, sir, I’d have been right behind her.”
Laynee moved closer and put out her hand. Edward immediately took it.
“You’ll always have a home here, Edward, you and Maysie both.”
David clapped his hands. “Okay, if we spend much time talking here, old Robert’s gonna come to see what we’re doing. Where are we sleeping, my good man?”
Edward’s brow furrowed. “Oh, dear.
Mr. Robert had Maysie make up rooms for you in the other wing. He wanted Miss Laynee put here.” He nodded to a closed door. “That’s a connecting door to Mr. Weather’s room, and her father has moved into it. He had me take all Mr. Weather’s personal belongings and box them up.”
Eric shook his head as Laynee began to tremble. “There’s no way I’ll leave her here at his mercy with us on the other side of the house.”
“Sir, if I may, there are two rooms in the other wing that connect. I can have Maysie put Laynee in one and you gentlemen can share the other one. She’d be close enough for you to keep her safe.”
Laynee breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “That would be great, Edward.
Don’t mention it to my father, just show us the rooms and make sure we have bedding. That’s all we need. I’m gonna have to get my clothes from father, or I’m gonna have to go shopping tomorrow. This is all I have, and I borrowed it from their aunt.”
“Miss Laynee, I’m reasonably sure that Maysie could loan you something to sleep in, and she could wash up what you’re wearing tonight so you’ll have clean clothes for your shopping trip tomorrow. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to the other rooms.”
Eric followed Edward down the hall toward the other end of the house, with David and Laynee close behind. When he got to the staircase he slowed down, peeked down the stairs, and then hurried across into the other hall. Halfway down the hall, he stopped and opened a door.
Eric followed the others in and looked around. A beautiful Navajo patterned comforter graced a huge, king-size, four-poster bed. The rest of the room was elegant and tasteful, decorated in blues and white.
David walked over and opened a door revealing a generous walk-in closet with built-in drawers, shoe shelves, and luggage racks above. “Very nice.” He grinned.
“Mr. Weathers loved having company, sir. He tried to make them so comfortable they never wanted to leave.”
Laynee turned away, but not before Eric saw the tears in her eyes. He went and put his hands on her shoulders. She turned in a flash and buried her face in his chest, her body shaking with sobs.
“Oh, dear, I’m so sorry, Miss Laynee.”
“I wanted to come and live with him so much,” she sobbed. “Father always said no. He must have been so lonely at the end.”
“He had us, Miss. And he lived for your letters and video conferences. He loved you, child. You can be sure of that.”
David cleared his throat and pointed toward a door. “Is that the connecting door?”
“Yes, sir. It’s a bathroom, and it has doors to each room.”
“Okay, that’s great.” David moved toward the door. “I think we all need to rest a little before dinner. We can use the time to try and pull ourselves together and plot a little more strategy.”
Edward put the bags on the floor. “Of, course. I’ll let Maysie know where you are, and that you’ll be down in about an hour.”
David nodded and walked him to the door. “Thanks for everything, man. If the old man gives you any grief over changing Laynee’s room, just send him to us. Remember, he doesn’t own this house, so he has no authority over you.
All he can do is threaten.”
Edward grinned. “That’s good to know, sir. Have a good rest.” He walked out, shutting the door behind him.
David turned. “Okay, we’re in. Now what?”
Eric walked to the window and glanced out at the back property. “I think we should play dumb.”
“What do you mean?” asked Laynee.
“Let’s go to dinner like everything is just fine and dandy. We’ll lure him into a comfortable state and wait for him to reveal something, like his master plan.”
“What do you think his next step will be?” asked David.
“If Macon’s reports are right, he’ll have to come up with another way to get his hands on Laynee’s money, and I don’t think he’ll wait long to make his move.”
David sighed. “Then we need to be ready for anything.”
Laynee moved toward Eric and stopped when he grabbed her hand. She sighed when he pulled her into his arms.
“I’m scared.”
Eric cuddled her close. “You don’t have to be afraid of anything, love.
We’re not gonna let anything happen to you.”
“I’m not worried about me. I’m afraid of what he could do to you.”
David rested his chin on her head.
“Trust me, pretty lady. He doesn’t stand a chance of hurting us.”
Robert tightened his grip on the phone as he waited for Jeremy to answer.
This
is going to be easier than I thought. A
couple of country yokels, taking the
time to bring the poor, blind, rich girl
home after rescuing her in the woods.
He chuckled. “I couldn’t have planned it better, myself.”
“Is she back?” Jeremy asked.
“Yes, she’s home, and she brought the daring rescuers with her.”
“Who are they?”
“Just a pair of kids trying to act like men. They said they own some fly-by-night place in Glacier. Get this. They take money from rich tourists to take them on nature hikes.”
“Did Laynee tell them you left her there?”
“
We
left her there. I wasn’t alone. As far as I can tell, Laynee doesn’t remember what happened. She said some dog found her, and led her toward the road where The Lone Ranger and Tonto tripped over her.”
“What are you gonna do now?”
“For tonight, nothing. She’s insisting they stay, and the servants are preparing some kind of welcome-home dinner in her honor. I plan on telling her at dinner that she has to come home with me tomorrow.
Knowing my stubborn daughter, she’s going to go ballistic and insist on staying here. I’ll get my feelings hurt and storm out.”
“And exactly how is this going to help you get any money?”
“It leaves her alone with the two of them. If anything happens to her, the police are going to suspect the two strangers she brought into our home. I can play the grieving father all the way to the bank.”
“Sounds risky. If they are the outdoor type, they just might be able to best you if you go back tonight to finish her off.”
“Have a little faith, boy. You’ll get your money soon. Once this is done, it’ll take about a week before I can send her will to probate, and then we’re both home-free.”
“You don’t have a week. The auditors will be in the office on Monday.”
“Don’t you worry about that. I have a plan to throw them off my track for a few days.”
“What plan?”
Robert laughed. “Forget it, Jeremy.
I’m not about to share any more with you than I have to.”
“Fine, you just remember that I won’t wait forever.”
David held onto Laynee’s arm as they followed Eric into the formal dining room. An oak table, big enough to seat ten, was laid out in what was probably their best china and silver. Multiple forks at each place setting made him want to growl in frustration. Why couldn’t they have a simple barbecue in the backyard?
Edward came through the door carrying a covered dish. “We’re ready to serve now, if you’ll all take a seat.