Perfect Partners (18 page)

“Damn,” Stan said. “Damn.” He dialed the police station with trembling fingers.

Letty walked out of the tavern a few minutes later. A pale yellow Mercedes was just pulling up in front. Diana Escott got out and immediately accosted Letty. “What do you want? Haven't you caused enough trouble? Why can't you just get on with the business of shutting down my father's boatyard? Finish it, will you? Just finish it before there's any more violence.”

“There will be no more violence,” Letty said firmly.

“You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know how bad this could get. Just do what you came here to do and leave, damn you. The sooner it's over, the better off we'll all be.”

Diana turned and walked into the tavern.

Letty waited until the tavern door opened again to reveal Keith and Diana emerging. She watched both get into the Mercedes. Neither said a word to the other.

Letty quickly walked the three blocks to the Echo Cove police station.

When she went up the steps and through the front door she found Joel in the process of collecting his wallet and a few other personal items from Officer Echler.

“Well, well, well. If it isn't Madam President.” Joel shoved his wallet into his back pocket and sauntered toward Letty. His expression was unreadable. “I hear you've been throwing your weight around town. How does it feel?”

Letty studied the darkening bruise under his left eye. “For the record, you lost tonight.”

“Says who?”

“Says me. You were fighting over Keith's wife. That puts you in the wrong, so I am declaring you the loser. Are you ready to leave?”

Joel whistled soundlessly. “You're really pissed, aren't you?”

“Yes, Joel, I am.” Letty turned and led the way out into the night.

Joel came swiftly down the steps behind her. “How come you rescued me, Letty?”

“I was merely protecting the corporate image.”

“I should have guessed you'd say something like that.” Joel was silent for a moment as he walked along beside her. “I don't suppose it will make any difference if I tell you that Escott started it?”

“None whatsoever. The poor man is under a great deal of stress. He knows Diana was in your motel room this morning.”

“That wasn't my fault, either. I didn't exactly invite her, you know.”

Letty had had enough. She stopped abruptly and whirled around to confront him. “You're back here in Echo Cove because of her. Don't you think poor Keith knows that? How would you feel if you were in his shoes?”

“Damn it, for the last time, I am not here because of Diana,” Joel said.

“Then why are you here? Why have you gone to so much trouble to destory Copeland Marine and this town?”

“Because it's Victor Copeland's company and Victor Copeland's town, and I am here to destroy Victor Copeland,” Joel shot back.

“Tell me why, damn it.”

Joel's eyes blazed. “You want to know why? I'll tell you why. Because that son of a bitch killed my father.”

J
oel's first thought when he awoke the next morning was that at approximately twelve-thirty last night, he had managed to make a complete ass of himself in front of Letty.

His second thought was that when all was said and done, Letty had not pushed him the way he had expected she would. In fact, she had been remarkably cool. He had dropped a bombshell in her lap, but she had not pressed for explanations.

After he had made that wild accusation about Copeland killing his father, Letty had simply put her arm through his and walked back to the motel with him.

“You can tell me about it in the morning,” she had said quietly as she let herself into her own room. “Neither of us is in any condition to talk rationally tonight.”

Maybe she had concluded he was crazy. Psychotic or paranoid or nuttier than a fruitcake. It might be hard for the president of the company to have a lot of confidence in a psychotic CEO.

Joel lay back against the pillows and watched the rain drip steadily outside the window. One thing was clear as crystal this morning. He owed Letty an explanation. In fact, Joel suddenly realized, he wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to talk about it. He wanted Letty to understand.

It was an odd sensation, this feeling of wanting Letty's sympathy. He had rarely bothered to explain himself to anyone during the greater portion of his adult life. He had certainly never felt the need to justify his actions to anyone.

But Letty was different.

He had never known anyone quite like Letty.

Joel shook his head in amazement as he recalled the events of the night. Little Letty Thornquist, respected member of the staff of Vellacott College, professional librarian and ex-fiancée of some turkey professor, had single-handedly strong-armed the forces of law and order in Echo Cove, Washington.

Translated, that meant Letty had gone up against the Copeland power and won. She had gotten her chief executive officer out of jail. All charges had been dropped.

She was turning out to be an okay executive, Joel decided. As a mentor he must be doing one hell of a good job. The thought made him grin briefly.

The cocky amusement faded as he sat up in bed and became more acutely aware of his assorted bruises. Escott might look like a preppy, but he had managed to get in a few good punches last night.

Joel tossed aside the covers and surveyed the motel room with a sour gaze. No doubt about it, the place was beginning to get to him.

It was time to get out of Echo Cove. He and Letty were scheduled to leave today. But first he wanted to explain things to her. She had a right to know.

Half an hour later Letty walked into the motel coffee shop. Joel glanced up and watched her as she came toward him down the aisle between the vinyl-covered booths. She appeared to be oblivious of the murmured comments and speculative glances she received en route.

This morning Letty was both brisk and rumpled, as only she could look in a businesslike navy blue suit. Her little round glasses were perched firmly on her nose and her wonderful, wild hair was held back over her ears by a pair of gold combs. There was a militant expression in her fine eyes.

Joel sprawled in the booth, gazing at Letty with a pleasant rush of possessiveness. It was getting to be a familiar sensation. He was not certain when he had started thinking of Letty as his woman, but the feeling was entrenched somewhere deep inside him now.

And maybe it wasn't a one-sided feeling, either, he thought.

He remembered what she had said last night when she discovered that he was being hauled off to jail: “This man happens to belong to me.”

“I'm certainly glad one of us has something to smile about this morning.” Letty sat down across from Joel and gave him a severe glare. “What's so amusing? I'd have thought you would feel quite awful. You certainly look it.”

“Sorry, boss. Didn't mean to annoy you. After last night we all know how you kick butt when you get annoyed.” Joel saluted her with his coffee cup.

“It's not a joking matter, Joel. I have never been so outraged and so mortified as I was last night when I watched that man put you into a patrol car and take you off to jail.”

“Not even when you found Dixon with Gloria the grad student?”

Color stained her cheeks. “If you have an ounce of common sense, you will not make any more stupid remarks like that one this morning.”

“Right, boss.”

“Don't you dare get sarcastic with me today. I am not in the mood to tolerate it.”

Joel held up a palm. “Okay, okay. No sarcasm.”

Letty sat back. “What occurred last night was absolutely inexcusable. You are an executive, the CEO of a major company. How could you get into a barroom brawl?”

“Would it help if I told you again that Escott started it?”

“No, it would not. Joel, I will not tolerate that kind of behavior from you in the future. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

“Yeah.”

“It was immature.”

“Yeah.”

“It was unprofessional.”

“Yeah. You know something, boss? It's not a good idea to chew out a subordinate in front of an audience.” Joel indicated the crowd of locals hovering over their morning coffee, ears cocked. Conversation in the room was at a minimum. Everyone was straining to listen to Letty. “Just a small management tip from your mentor.”

Letty's mouth tightened. Nevertheless, she lowered her voice. “I think you owe me some explanations of your recent conduct. I want to know what you meant when you mentioned your father last night.”

Joel put down his coffee and slid out of the booth. “Come on. We can't talk here.” He reached down and tugged her up out of the seat.

“Joel, wait. I haven't had any breakfast.”

“We'll pick something up at that fast-food place down the street. Then we're going for a drive.” Joel cast a disgusted look at the crowd in the restaurant. “There never was much privacy in this one-horse town.”

Joel slowed the Jeep as he cruised past the small weather-beaten clapboard house on the outskirts of town. For some reason it was a shock to realize someone was living in it. A pickup truck was parked in the front yard, and there was a basketball sitting on the tiny lawn. Somebody had planted flowers under the windows.

“Why are we stopping?” Letty turned to look at the old house.

“I was raised in that place.”

Letty studied the house through the steady gray rain that was still falling. “That was your home?”

“Dad and I lived there after Mom died. Couldn't afford my own place. Took a long time to pay off Mom's medical bills. Copeland Marine didn't provide its workers with much in the way of medical insurance back in those days. Still doesn't for that matter.”

“What did your mother die of, Joel?”

“Breast cancer. I was eighteen at the time.”

Letty closed her eyes briefly. “How terrible for all of you.”

“Her death changed everything. That house isn't much to look at, but when Mom was alive, it seemed different somehow. It was a good place to grow up.”

“Your mother made it a home.”

“Yeah. Dad was different in those days, too. He used to laugh a lot. We did things together. Talked about the future. He always had plans.” Joel paused. “He never talked about the future again after Mom died.”

“Oh, Joel, how awful.”

Joel shrugged. “Dad and I combined our paychecks for three years and managed to get the hospital off our backs. I had plans to move out the summer Dad was killed. I was free at last and ready to take on the world. I was heading for the bright lights of the big city.”

“With Diana.” Letty's voice was very soft.

Joel smiled wryly. “Yeah, I thought Diana was going with me. I should have known better.” He put his foot back down on the accelerator. “No way was she going to disobey her daddy. And she sure as hell was not going to walk away from everything she had here. Not for some working-class nobody like me.”

“You've come a long way, haven't you?” Letty asked dryly. “If it's any consolation, Diana apparently regrets her decision fifteen years ago.”

“I don't give a damn whether she regrets it or not. I'm just grateful she made the choice she did.”

“Are you certain of that, Joel?”

“Damn certain. I'll say this one last time, Letty: I am not carrying a torch for Diana Copeland Escott. Got that?”

“If you say so.”

Joel frowned. She did not sound convinced. He drove in silence for a few minutes, collecting his thoughts, trying to decide where to begin. He thought he was driving aimlessly with no particular destination in mind, until he realized he had taken the turnoff that led to the old gray barn. He eased his foot off the gas.

“Why are we stopping this time?” Letty asked quietly.

“I don't know. I used to come here sometimes.” Joel halted the Jeep at the side of the road, switched off the engine, and rested his arms on the steering wheel. He stared at the ramshackle barn through the rain. “I could be alone here. Nobody else ever bothered to come out this far. No reason to. The place was abandoned years ago. I'm surprised it's still standing.”

“This was where you headed when you wanted privacy?”

“Yeah.”

Letty smiled softly. “I had a special place, too. Not a great old barn like this, just a little potting shed in my mother's garden. I'm sure Mom and Dad knew where I was when I disappeared into it, but they never said anything or bothered me when I was there.”

“So maybe you and I have a few things in common,” Joel suggested.

“Could be.” Letty unbuckled her seat belt. “Come on. Let's go see what's happened to your barn in the past few years.”

Memories seared through Joel's head. Diana's screams. Copeland's enraged face. The heavy length of teak crashing down hard enough to break bones.

“Letty, wait.” Joel stretched out a hand to catch hold of her, but it was too late. She was already out of the Jeep, raising her umbrella.

Joel reluctantly got out and stood in the rain. Letty hurried around the front of the Jeep to hold the umbrella over his head.

“Don't you have a hat, Joel?”

“I'm all right.”

He started walking toward the dilapidated structure. Letty followed. The place did not look all that much different than it had fifteen years ago, Joel realized. Same barnyard overgrown with weeds. Same broken windows in the loft. Same sagging door.

But the weathered roof was still doing an amazingly effective job of keeping out the rain, Joel discovered as he led the way into the gloom. He halted and stood searching the shadows. They were still filled with bits and pieces of rusted-out farm machinery and empty feed troughs.

Compelled by grim curiosity, Joel walked over to the horse stall on the right. Metal hinges squawked in protest as he opened the door. It was the same sound they had made that night fifteen years ago, a sound that had probably saved his life. It had given him the split-second warning he needed to roll to one side and thereby lessen the impact of the teak board Copeland wielded.

“Someone left some old horse blankets behind,” Letty said, looking past Joel into the stall.

Joel glanced down at the blankets where he had been lying with Diana that night. Nothing had changed. Even the damned blankets were still here. A surge of uneasiness rose like bile in his gut.

He should never have come back here today. Not with Letty.

“We've seen enough.” Joel grabbed Letty's wrist, intending to start back to the Jeep.

“Wait, Joel. I want to look around some more.”

“I don't.”

Letty glanced at him, eyes widening with surprise at his tone. “Joel? What's wrong?”

“Nothing, damn it.” Joel tried to school his roiling emotions. He could hardly explain that this was where he had brought Diana the night Victor Copeland discovered them. Nor did he want to talk about the peculiar way his stomach was twisting as the memories cascaded through his mind. He should never have come back here, Joel thought again.

Letty was watching him with anxious sympathy. “Maybe it's time you told me what you meant about Copeland killing your father.”

“Yeah, maybe it's time I did.” Joel looked down at her. “You're probably going to think I'm nuts. I've got no proof. No witnesses. Nothing to go on except my own instincts.”

Letty put her fingers gently on his arm. “Tell me everything. Right from the beginning.”

“You know most of it. I was seeing Diana Copeland. Her father didn't know about us. She said she wanted to wait to tell him. We both knew he wasn't going to like the idea of his daughter marrying me. I was getting impatient, though. I told her if she wouldn't do it, I'd tell him myself. She got really upset.”

Letty frowned. “Upset?”

“She started crying. Made me promise not to say anything to Copeland until after she'd gone back to college in the fall. I don't know what the delay was supposed to accomplish. It was just a stalling tactic as far as I was concerned. Hell, I was trying to get her out from under his thumb. She was always telling me how domineering he was.”