Shadows of the Past, Chapter 5, Part 1

 Chapter 5

Cole knelt on one knee beside Jack. His heart ached. The glassy stare, the blood, the large scissors rammed viciously into his upper abdomen told Cole more than he wanted to know. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Jack had been his friend for so many years that he hadn’t even considered this a possibility. Somehow he’d just thought that they would go on being best friends forever.

But the facts were before him. Only questions remained. Who had murdered Jack? And why?

As if he didn’t know! As far as he knew, there was only one possible reason anybody would want Jack dead. Somebody had found out what Jack was doing with the skeleton. And there was only one person that could be.

Three people knew that Jack had identified Carl’s remains: Tori, Richard, and himself. He knew he hadn’t killed Jack, which left two other suspects. Tori couldn’t kill anybody anymore than his mother could, which left one suspect.

Guilt joined his grief. If he hadn’t told his father that Jack had identified Carl, his friend would probably still be alive. Unable to believe that his father had betrayed him like this, he struggled to hold back his tears.

He needed to remain calm, to think clearly, because Tori would be just as affected by the news as he had been to find Jack. She was a terribly caring person, and she would probably grieve for a while, even though she had hardly spoken to Jack. The last thing he wanted was for Tori to feel obligated to comfort him.

Before he could go to her and explain why he’d sent her from the scene so abruptly, he needed to call the police.

Steeling himself for what he must do, he rose and started to reach for the phone. Then he noticed the calendar. On the right-hand page for that date, his name had been printed in ink next to 9:00 p.m. Oh, no! If the cops found that, he could be in serious trouble.

Cole took the handkerchief from his back jeans pocket and went to the phone. Laying the material across the handset, he picked it up then used his pen to dial 911. When a man answered, he spoke as calmly as he could so as not to give the impression that he might have something to hide. If he didn’t keep his cool, Tori would be even more upset than she must be after the way he’d sent her from the building.

“Send the police to the coroner’s office,” Cole said when an operator answered. “There’s been a murder there.” Then, so the man couldn’t question him, he hung up.

As he slipped his pen back into his pocket, his gaze fell on the calendar again. Concerned that he would be implicated in his friend’s death, he used his handkerchief to tear off the page and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he hurried from the building, quickly wiping his fingerprints from everything he remembered touching.

 ***

        Tori watched Cole sprint across the parking lot. Even before finished digging his keys from his pocket, the car beeped to indicate her door was unlocked. Cole went directly to his door while she got in the passenger side.

Although she was curious, she waited until he was on the street before she questioned him. “What happened in there?”

“Jack was murdered.”

In an instant, her heart went out to him. He and Jack had been good friends, and Cole had to be feeling more than the apparent disinterest that was in his voice. She felt a touch of grief herself, and she didn’t even know Jack. Speaking sympathetically, she said, “Oh, Cole, I’m so sorry. Shouldn’t we call the police this time? The sooner we do, the easier it will be for them to catch the killer.”

“I already did. Now I’m buying us some time. We need to talk to Dad.”

“Why?” she asked, stunned.

“Other than us, he’s the only one who knows about Carl. I hate to say this, but he had to have killed Jack. It’s the only logical explanation. I want to see if I can get him to turn himself in before the cops find out.”

“Do you really believe that Jack was killed because of your uncle?”

“I can’t think of any other motive. Or did he mention another project that would endanger his life when you two were alone?”

“Well,” she admitted, “no, but …”

“I don’t like to think that Dad could do something like this, but I don’t have any other choice. Everything leads back to Carl. Other than you, me, and Jack, Dad was the only person who knew—unless you can come up with another theory.”

“I wish I could,” she said sadly. “I don’t like the things this mystery is doing to your relationship with your father. And I definitely don’t like you accusing him without more information. You should be siding with him, not against him.”

“I want to, honey.” He sighed heavily then admitted, “I really do. It’s just so hard with everything I know, and especially considering the way he was acting the night he got to town, not to mention when I first talked to him on the phone after you got to town. Too much doesn’t add up, and he’s left too many questions unanswered. But I swear to God, Tori, if he would be honest with me …”

She interrupted him. “What makes you think he’s not being honest?”

“I know him. I can tell by every movement and statement he makes, by the inflection in his voice when he talks, by the expression in his eyes. I’m convinced that, even if he didn’t kill Carl, he knows who did.”

 ***

        Richard couldn’t believe it when she’d called him, but now there was no doubt in his mind. She’d hardly changed in twenty-one years. Even her hair was the same shade of red he remembered from the last time he saw her.

“Why did you come here?” he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Why couldn’t you let me handle everything?”

“Because I only trust one person,” she replied, pacing before him. “Me.”

“You used to trust me, and I haven’t done a damned thing to have lost that trust. I can handle Cole now as well as I did when he was a child.”

“Don’t be so sure of that. I’m taking care of things. Go back to the farm with your new wife.”

“Oh, knock it off,” he said, exasperated. “It’s been years since you’ve had any claim on me, and jealousy doesn’t become you. Now why are you back? I thought you were out of my life for good. That was our deal, anyway—my silence for your disappearance.”

“Well, I am back, Richard, and I’m staying until I have what I want.”

“Which is?”

“Assurance that nobody will ever find out what happened.”

“How do you plan to accomplish that?”

“You have to talk Cole out of any more restoration. He has to stop, Richard. He has to.”

“I’m trying, but I can’t push him too hard or he’ll start digging to find out what I’m hiding. That’s his nature, and you know it. He’s always loved a mystery, so he’s not going to stop trying to solve it until he has answers, especially a mystery that directly involves him.”

“I don’t care. Too much has already been uncovered. We have to stop him as soon as possible. The woman he has working for him, too. She’s the one who started all of this.”

Richard shook his head. Not only did she look the same as he remembered, she still had that stubborn streak that nobody could stifle.

“I’ll try again,” he agreed, “but I can’t guarantee anything. Now get out of here. He’s supposed to be here about ten-thirty, and he might run into you on the elevator.”

 ***

        Cole pulled into an empty parking space and stopped the Rogue. Although he started to get out, Tori sat unmoving. On the long ride back to the plantation, she had done a lot of thinking, and she had begun to feel guilty.

With his feet on the ground, he turned toward her and questioned her in concern. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“Nothing.”

Getting back in, he closed his door and faced her as he laid his hand on the back of her seat. “You haven’t said word one since we left the morgue. It’s obvious that something’s bothering you.”

“Of course, something’s bothering me,” she snapped. “Your friend was murdered—probably because he identified Carl’s remains. And he wouldn’t have done that if I’d been able to stifle my curiosity. This is all my fault.”

“No, it’s not, Tori. This would have come out, anyway, because my curiosity would have eventually gotten the better of me. I would have torn down that wall myself. I’m just sorry that you had to find him. It couldn’t have been easy for you.”

He slid his caressing hand over her hair. Even though he stroked her hair tenderly, Tori felt no sparks; no fire began to grow. From the moment they’d walked into the morgue, she’d been numb, and that dazed state had turned into limbo when Cole told her about Jack. Because of her inability to control her curiosity, a man was dead. Who would be next? Cole? His father? Her? What had she done by breaking down that wall?

“Was he married, Cole?” she asked.

“Jack? No, honey, he was single. He didn’t even have a girlfriend. Jack was married to his job.”

“Then I didn’t take away some child’s father? I couldn’t live with myself if I had.”

“He didn’t have any children, either.” Cole ran his hand over her hair one last time then caressed her neck and pulled her toward him. After planting a very brief kiss on her lips, he released her.

Tori gasped as he pulled back and stared at him in wonder. How could such an innocent, dispassionate kiss have sent such wild sparks through her? It was as though everything that had happened that night suddenly disappeared and nothing mattered except getting to a private place where they could continue the embrace.

Cole smiled that seductive, crooked grin and spoke in a low, calming tone. “Now stop blaming yourself. It isn’t your fault, and it’s as simple as that. Are you ready to go upstairs and talk to Dad now?”

“You want me to go with you?” she asked incredulously, more shocked by her response to his unexpected kiss than his question.

“You bet I do. I want him to more than meet you. If he does, he’ll see that I’m not going to let him hurt you. I’ll protect you through all of this, Tori. I won’t let anything happen to you. Let’s go on up now.” He grinned again. “But I’m warning you, you’ll probably have a touch of déjà vu. He’s got your room.”

Instead of holding her hand as he had done on numerous occasions, he casually draped his arm around her shoulders. His fingertips toyed with her collarbone. Again she felt no sparks, no excitement. Why? Just seconds ago she was ready to jump into his bed when he kissed her. Now she felt nothing again. What was happening to her? Why was she hopping from one emotion to another? Was it because of everything that had happened? Or was it because she was losing interest in Cole?

 ***

        As they got onto the elevator, Cole wondered what was going wrong. He wanted to seduce her so she wouldn’t go back out to the mansion, but his heart just wasn’t in it. Apparently, he was too afraid—not for himself, but for Tori. Somehow, whether he was up to the task or not, he had to show his father how deep his interest in Tori was. Somehow he had to convince his father that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, whether he was sure if he wanted that or not, which he definitely wasn’t. If nothing else would, that deception, even though his inner turmoil was so strong, would stop his father from hurting her. At least, he hoped it would.

At his father’s room, Cole knocked on the door. In only moments, a man opened it. Glancing at her, Cole noticed that Tori studied Richard curiously, as though trying to determine if they looked alike.

Moving his hand to her neck, Cole directed Tori to the bed. They sat down together while Richard dragged a chair over to sit facing them. As he made the introductions, Cole slid his arm around Tori’s waist and squeezed it tenderly.

“Dad,” Cole said as he smiled at her, “this is my restoration expert, Tori Young. Tori,” He nodded toward his father. “this is my dad, Richard Marshall.” The pair shook hands and greeted each other cordially. “Now that the intros are over, let’s get down to business.”

If I can, he thought as he gazed longingly at the woman in his arm. The craving to feel her body against his was back, and he wanted to get her to his house as soon as possible. He wanted to taste more than just her lips; he hungered for the full flavor of her.

“Fine with me,” his father said without acknowledging Tori. “What did Jack have to say?”

Startled back to reality, Cole glared at his father. “You know what the hell he had to say—not a damned word. Why are you putting on this act? It’s me, Dad, not some fool who just walked out of the nut-house.”

“What are you talking about?” Richard asked innocently.

“I’m talking about murder, damn it. Cold-blooded, premeditated murder. How could you do such a thing? And it wasn’t just once. It was twice. For God’s sake, Dad, turn yourself in.”

Richard stiffened in his chair. Then, after a momentary pause, his eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Are you saying that Jack was murdered? And that you think I did it?”

“Nobody else knew what he was doing for us.” Cole wanted his father to be innocent, but he couldn’t think of one other person who could have murdered Jack. Somehow he had to convince Richard that he would be better off if he cooperated. “Dad, if you turn yourself in, we’ll go to the police station with you. We’ll do everything we can to get you out of this mess. Although, I don’t know what that could be.”

Tori sat silently, confused by the ease with which Cole used the word we. It was as though he’d been using it for years instead of minutes. Across from her, Richard examined her. The expression of distrust on his face unnerved her, and she instinctively snuggled closer to Cole. He moved his arm upward so his hand rested on her ribcage then tightened his protective embrace. Tori sighed, glad that he was there.

“You can stop looking at Tori like that, Dad,” he ordered. “Because she opened that wall, she’s involved in this with me, and I’m not going to let anything happen to her. Do you understand that? I won’t let you hurt her like you did Jack.”

“I didn’t hurt anybody, son,” Richard denied. “I swear it.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of swearing lately, but that doesn’t mean I believe you. I want to, but I can’t. There are too many coincidences that lead to my accusations. Are you going to join us at the police station or not? I’d hate to have to turn in my own father.”

“Go ahead, son. Turn me in! I’ll be out in no time because I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent, Coleman, and if you can’t trust me enough to believe that, maybe I don’t need you as a son.”

“If you can’t trust me enough to tell me the truth,” Cole returned angrily, “I definitely don’t need you as a father.” With his hands on her waist, he pushed Tori to her feet at the same time he rose. “We’re going to the cops, Dad. And there’s no telling when they’ll be here. Come on, Tori.”

Stumbling along as he pushed her toward the door, Tori glanced over her shoulder. “Good night, Mr. Marshall.”

But he didn’t return her farewell as Cole opened the door and escorted her out. Too confused by what had happened, Tori remained silent. Beside her, Cole strode to the elevator. Even on the ride to the ground level, neither spoke. Tori wanted to, but she didn’t know what to say. Cole was going to turn his own father over to the police. Granted, she’d told him that he should, but it wasn’t what she wanted—especially now that she’d met Richard. She couldn’t believe that he was a murderer, even if Cole himself suspected it.

At his Rogue, Cole leaned against it and gazed down at Tori with a gleam in his eyes. Seductively rubbing her upper arms, he asked, “Well, honey? Are you ready to go to my place?”

“Absolutely not!” she exclaimed in amazement. “How could you even ask after that performance with your father?”

“That’s all it was, too,” he admitted. “A performance. I can’t turn him in. For God’s sake, Tori, the man’s my father. Surely, you didn’t believe what I was saying.”

“I certainly did. I think he believed you, too.”

“I sure as hell hope so. Maybe it will get him to the cops.”

“Then you don’t really believe he killed Jack?”

“Oh, I believe it all right, kind of.” He grabbed her arms firmly and spun around to pin her against his truck. “Now about coming to my place.”

The idea was tempting, especially with his body pressed so securely against hers. When he’d held her in Richard’s room, she’d been shocked by the unforeseen explosion of desire that had blasted through her. But she had also loved the feeling. Still, she couldn’t agree to his suggestion. If she did, he would expect more than conversation. His being her client didn’t even matter anymore. She simply wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. Until she was, she had to avoid getting herself into a position where she might weaken.

His head inched closer to hers. His green eyes locked with her gaze, and she found herself unable to break the spell. At the last moment, she willed herself to move and turned her head so his lips caught her cheek.

He pulled back, looking down at her in obvious confusion. “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t want you to kiss me,” she replied flatly.

“You didn’t complain in the car.”

“Well, I’m complaining now.” Pushing him away, she darted toward the other side of the lot where her Prius was parked. When he grabbed her arm about halfway there, she glared up at him. “Stop that.”

“Not until you stop running away from me,” he returned irritably. “I thought we were past that. What’s wrong with you tonight, anyway?”

“Nothing—and everything. I want some solitude, Cole. So let me go home.”

“Home?” he asked with his boyish grin.

“To the mansion,” she corrected, studying her hands in the dark.

“You called it home,” he reminded her. “Is that really how you think of it?”

Drawing in a deep breath, she lifted her head to let her eyes meet his. The heat in his shadowed gaze was as obvious as if there had been daylight. There was only one way to combat the desire spreading through her. She had to force herself to remain calm. “It’s where I live, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but you know what they say about home. It’s where the heart is.”

“You’re impossible!” she exclaimed, jerking her arm free. “I’m going back to the mansion. Good night.”

She rushed to her car, got in and pulled out of the lot. As she drove away, she saw that he hadn’t moved.

Wouldn’t he ever understand that she wasn’t interested in romance? she wondered as she drove past him. Just because she was attracted to him—and he obviously knew that she was or he wouldn’t keep making the comments he did—it didn’t mean that she wanted a relationship. She would be content with only her dreams of their making love.

Glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw him cross the lot. She didn’t know why, but she had a feeling that she hadn’t seen the last of him that night.

 ***

Chapter 5, Part 2

Thunder rumbled as Tori stared at the empty hook on the back of the bathroom door. Where in the world had her peach negligee disappeared to? She was sure she’d left it there that morning, but it was gone. Maybe she’d taken it to the kitchen without thinking. But surely, she would have noticed it while she was cleaning. Not to her surprise, that was exactly where she found it.

She slipped it over her head as a door closed. It sounded like it had come from the entrance by the servants’ stairs. Obviously, she hadn’t seen the last of Cole that night. And he could have seen her traipsing around the mansion naked as she searched for her short nightgown!

“Why that no-good s.o.b.”

Furious with him, she checked the door, hoping that he’d been embarrassed by seeing her nudity and decided to leave. But the bolt lock was still in place, and he hadn’t had enough time to lock it with the key from the outside. That meant he must still be in the house. But she hadn’t heard him on the servants’ stairs. She would have seen him if he’d gone through the laundry room to exit the billiard room door.

Going upstairs, she did a systematic search of the house, just to be sure he wasn’t still there. As she passed a window at the front, she stopped. His car wasn’t parked below. A flash of lightning lit the sky. In that moment, the shadow of a man in a trench coat hurrying through the live oak trees toward the woods. Apparently, he’d parked elsewhere again and changed his mind about staying. Well, she wasn’t about to let him get away with it this time.

Racing down the nearest staircase, Tori exited the door at the bottom. Another lightning flash brightened the area. The man was getting closer to the woods. If she was going to catch him, she had to forget about a coat and go now.

Heedless of the rain, she raced toward the woods. Now that she was in the mud, she was glad that she wasn’t encumbered by a coat. She would have lost a lot of time. Still, she slipped around quite a bit until she reached the grass on the opposite side of the road. All of a sudden her bare foot hit a puddle, and she fell, twisting her ankle. A sharp stab shot through it, but she choked back a cry of pain so Cole wouldn’t hear her.

Scrambling to her feet, she limped on as fast as she could. She was almost to the woods when a large hand grabbed her upper arm. Fear embraced her as it never had before, and she screamed. Jerking loose, she raced away. The person tackled her. Both of them fell to the muddy ground. Again she managed to free herself and rush on.

Panic overtook her. She sped forward. Then she noticed that she was headed toward the mansion. Her fear had left her confused, disoriented. She had to hide, but the house was too far away. She turned a different direction and ran parallel to the road, away from the house and woods.

A hand grabbed her again. A large body pinned her against a live oak tree nearby. Her scream of terror was almost drowned out by the loud crack of thunder that shook the earth.

Tori screamed again, but it was cut short when a hand clamped over her mouth. Terrified, she bit down until a man cried out. He collapsed against her, crushing her back against the tree. Then he grasped her head behind her ears and forced her head back.

She opened her mouth to scream again—until she saw Cole’s concerned expression. In an instant, rage replaced fear. She tried to push him away, but he was too heavy. How dare he treat her like this!

She struggled to free herself until her back scraped against the relatively smooth bark of the oak. Next she tried to extricate her head, but even that was useless, because he had a powerful yet gentle hold on her.

Suddenly exhaustion raced through her. She panted hard to catch her breath. Her firm breasts rose and fell rhythmically; her heart pounded unmercifully in her chest. But she wasn’t sure what caused it—her flight or the intense desire flooding her veins.

Cole was standing between her legs, his arousal tantalizingly evident as he pressed against her lower abdomen. She wanted to talk, to tell him to get away from her. But her words were blocked by the agonizing excitement swelling in her chest. She’d never had such a strong attraction to a man.

When he spoke, his cracking voice was barely audible over the hard rain. “Don’t you ever run away from me again. I couldn’t stop Mom from leaving, but I’ll sure as hell stop you.”

Tori wanted to respond after his first sentence, but his second stopped her. He’d been devastated when his mother left, and the thought of her leaving terrified him as much as his chase had frightened her. Was he really that attached to her already? As she inhaled to catch a breath, his mouth covered hers.

His lips met hers tenderly at first. Then his tongue slipped between her slightly parted lips, and tenderness became hunger. He probed her mouth, as though desperate to discover every portion of her body that she would allow. And she instinctively slid her arms around him in response.

His kiss changed again, burning his passion into her so insistently that she sighed heatedly into his mouth. His lips ground against hers, drawing her deeper into his power. She tightened her hold and caressed his hard, muscular back in acceptance. His large hand slid down her wet hair, across her shoulder and chest, coming to rest on her breast. Tori inhaled sharply. She wanted him now, as much as he so obviously wanted her.

A deafening crack of thunder shook the ground so hard that it knocked them both into the mud. At the sound of splitting wood, Cole looked up, so Tori let her gaze follow his. The oak beside theirs was falling, dissected by a bolt of lightning. And half of that tree was tipping toward them!

Before she could react, Cole threw his body over her, put his head down beside hers, and covered both of their heads with his arms. A moment later, the ground quaked as the large tree fell, missing them by only a couple of feet.

Cole heaved a sigh then rolled off Tori. She rolled onto her back as well. Reaching over, he grasped her hand and looked at her. “Are you okay, honey?”

“Yes.” Her voice faltered with a new fear, one of barely escaping death. “What happened?”

“We came damned close to getting hit by lightning. We’d better get back inside.” Pushing himself up, he reached down, took her hands, and pulled her to her feet. A sharp pain shot through her right ankle, and her leg buckled. But Cole caught her before she fell and swept her into his arms. “I thought you said you were okay.”

Her face heated in embarrassment. “I was until I stood up. I must have sprained my ankle.”

“I’m not surprised considering that fall you took,” he said as he hurried toward the house. Another flash of lightning brightened the dark sky, followed seconds later by a loud clap of thunder. “Thank God, that wasn’t as close. Why the hell were you running around in a storm, anyway? Wearing next to nothing at that.”

“I’ll explain after I’ve had time to clean up and change.”

“Which door did you come out? I don’t know because you were already out here when I arrived.”

“The one by the back stairs and breakfast room.”

When they reached the house, Tori opened the door for Cole. He set her down in the small hallway then stepped back to close the door by leaning against it. The light she’d left on in the nearby kitchen illuminated her, and Cole inhaled through his teeth.

The hissing sound attracted Tori’s attention. Glancing up, she saw that his gaze was riveted on her body. She looked down in mortified disbelief. Her nylon nightgown had turned almost transparent. Not only could Cole see everything she had, her short gown clung alluringly to her body.

Keeping her head bowed so he wouldn’t see her embarrassment, she mentally braced herself for his taunting remark. Instead he spoke with a seriousness that startled her.

“Here. Put this on.” Her jaw dropped as she raised her head. Hanging before her was the soaking, dark blue shirt he’d been wearing earlier. Unable to move, she stared at it while he continued. “I know it’s wet, Tori. But take it. Put it on. Please. Before I forget that I was raised to be a gentleman.”

She accepted his shirt with a half-smile and slipped into it while she stared at his naked torso. She’d already known that he was well-built, but she hadn’t realized he was so perfectly proportioned. His chest, covered with a moderate amount of curly hair, was solid without being overly muscular. A line of medium brown hair ran down his hard, slightly rippled stomach to his jeans.

“Thanks,” he said as she wrapped his shirt around her. “I’ll help you upstairs.”

“That’s okay. I can do it.” Before she could stop him, he put his left arm around her waist and grasped her upper right arm with his free hand. Instantly, the heat of their wet embrace returned. She had to do something to break the mood. “Really, Cole. I can make it upstairs alone.”

“I’m sure you can,” he said as he mounted the first step. “Okay now. Hop up here on your left foot. That right one’s really swollen.”

Even as she followed his instructions, she complained, “I feel silly doing this.”

“But you’re going to,” he teased as they made their way laboriously upstairs, “because you know it’s better for you. Besides, I imagine that ankle hurts too much to put any weight on it.”

“Don’t remind me. The very thought hurts.”

Cole laughed heartily. “A sense of humor even in the face of adversity. I like that in a woman.”

“I suppose that means you know a lot of women who face adversity.”

“Only one,” he admitted, turning serious again. “She’s the only one I care about, too.” Then his grin returned. “Do you know what sounds great right now? A roaring fire. I wish I’d cleaned out at least one of the zillion fireplaces in this place.”

“I found some of the appropriate tools in a shed and cleaned the one in the kitchen this morning.”

“You did? Great! While you’re getting cleaned up, I’ll get it started. I know where I can get some dry wood. Then you can take care of that ankle in front of a fire. How’s that sound?”

Wonderful!” she drawled as they reached the second floor. “If I give you an extra towel, would you make an ice pack for me? I bought some ice and put it in the freezer this afternoon.”

“I’ll do anything to help, honey,” Cole said. “Just tell me what you want.”

“I don’t need much help, but I sure would appreciate that ice pack.”

Tori stripped her wet nightgown over her head then got into the tub and quickly washed her mud-splattered body. As she dried off and slipped into a short, royal blue nightgown, she added cold water. Finally, she straddled the edge of the tub and put her right foot into the water. This would help until she made her way downstairs for the ice pack.

Why would Cole frighten her one minute then kiss her the next? To make up for scaring her when he’d finally caught up with her? Then it dawned on her: the man she saw running hadn’t been Cole. His shirt had been wet, which meant he wasn’t wearing a trench coat.

Since it couldn’t have been Cole, maybe that man she’d seen running on the edge of the woods was his father. After all, it was possible that he had a key to the mansion, too. One thing was sure—that shadow had definitely not been a figment of her imagination.

Her next thought startled her. When Cole was carrying her to the house, she’d noticed his car parked beside hers. It hadn’t been there when she’d left the mansion, so he had to have arrived later.

She dismissed the idea and leaned back against the wall. They could decide later what had happened—together, while they were sitting in front of the fire.

“Tori!” she heard him call. “Did you clean out the chimney this afternoon, too? I don’t want to smoke up the house.”

“Unlike some people,” she returned loudly, “I’m not afraid of heights. Yes, I cleaned it—from the roof you don’t like me climbing on.”

His hearty laugh echoed through the mansion, diminishing the farther away he got. A door closed in the distance, and she knew that he’d left to find the wood. A sense of security enveloped her. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, she was glad that Cole had come. And she would tell him as soon as possible.

 ***

        Backing his Rogue up to the barn, Cole parked then got out and pushed the large door aside. After getting into his truck again, he backed up a little farther, so the tail end was in the barn. Finally, he turned off the motor and got out again.

This building was so rickety it had to be torn down, anyway. He may as well salvage some of the wood for the fireplaces. Boards creaked over the rain that hit the roof, dripping through in some places, pouring through in others.

“God, this place is spooky,” he said aloud as he opened the lift-back. “I’m going to make this quick.”

He tore apart a decrepit storage bin with his bare hands and the hatchet he’d put back two days earlier. Tori was right. He really was skittish. The place was deserted—except for the little varmints making their homes here—and he was ready to high-tail it out of there and tell her he couldn’t find any wood to warm her up.

Warm her up, huh? That was an appropriate choice of words. But he wouldn’t—not tonight. He’d scared the hell out of her when he caught up with her. Now he had to be a gentleman and find another cozy bed to sleep in. There were certainly plenty in the house.

Whistling to drown out the noises, he finished his chore. With the wood stored in the back of his truck, he closed the lid, got in, and drove away.

Richard peered over the edge of the hayloft with a heavy sigh. “That was close.” He sat down opposite the woman with red hair and gazed at her. “It’s been a long time, but I still miss you. I still miss what we had together.”

“Me, too,” she replied. “I wish we could renew old times. I wish you hadn’t remarried.”

He moved closer to her, cupping her face tenderly between his hands. “Since when did a man being married stop you?”

“Since it ruined two marriages twenty-one years ago.”

“Let’s forget those twenty-one years, darlin’,” Richard said. “Let’s forget the seventeen years before that. Let’s go all the way back to when there were no children to hamper our love.”

“Too much has happened, Richard,” she replied with a slow shake of her head. “And your unfaithfulness started it all.”

“I know, but I’ve apologized a million times for it. I’ve also paid the price. I want you, darlin’. I want to make love to you like I did more than thirty-five years ago.”

“That’s not what you said twenty-one years ago. Back then, you told me that you never wanted to see me again. You told me that you only wanted me to send you my address and phone number whenever I moved in case there was an emergency.”

He slid his hands down to her shoulders then caressed her upper arms. “That was a long time ago, sweetheart. Let’s forget—at least temporarily. Nothing has changed. You’re still the only woman I’ve ever truly loved.”

Before she could protest again, his mouth covered hers in a kiss that he knew would accomplish his goal.

 ***

        When she heard Cole get into the shower in another bathroom, Tori got out of the tub and drained the water. Donning the short, royal blue robe that matched her sleeveless nightgown, she tied the sash around her waist. Then she grabbed two pillows and the quilt off her bed and hobbled to the kitchen.

Spreading the quilt neatly on the floor, she dropped the pillows on the quilt then picked up the ice pack Cole had left on the table. Sitting down, she laid her foot on the pillows. Then, very gently, she laid the ice pack on her ankle and lay back to wait for him.

He came down the servants’ stairs a few minutes later, wearing only a pair of jogging shorts—and his bright, boyish grin.

“Didn’t I tell you, young lady,” he teased, “that you were supposed to wait for me to bring you down? Instead, you brought a bunch of stuff and didn’t even let me help.”

“That’s because I didn’t need help,” she returned as he sat down beside her Indian fashion.

Cole shook his head. “Ah, independent even in the face of adversity. Not always a good quality lately, but I like that in a woman.”

“You know, Mr. Marshall, you like a lot of things in a woman that seem to fit with adversity. Are you sure you don’t know a lot of women like me?”

Lying down on his side, he brushed some of the hair off her forehead. “I only have adverse times with one woman.”

“At a time,” she added playfully.

Cole turned serious again. “At all. Is the fire warming you up?”

“A little too much,”

“Well, it’s no wonder.” He slid his hand up her shin to her thigh. “Here you lie, all bundled up in that long-sleeved, albeit sexy, robe.” His hand slid over the satiny, nylon material to her sash while she shivered with desire beneath his tender caress. “I’ll bet that nightgown doesn’t have any sleeves on it.” He untied the sash but left the robe in place.

“Cole,” she replied in a heated whisper.

“I know,” he said, sliding one side of the material out of his way. “I’m interested, too.” He pushed the other side of the robe out of his way. “But it’s not going to happen tonight.” Carefully lifting one sleeve, he removed her naked arm. “I’ve already overstepped the bounds of decency by kissing you like that in the storm, especially after I’d scared you so badly. I really am sorry about that, too.” The other sleeve glided off her arm without her offering a single word of protest. “God, you have a great body.”

Now was the time for her to speak, but she couldn’t. His fingertip blazed a tantalizing trail across her bare shoulder to her spaghetti strap. It heated a path on her skin as it followed the thin material to her nightgown. Her nerves tingled as he traced the edge across her partially exposed breast, through her cleavage, up the other breast, and over the other spaghetti strap.

While his hand rested on her shoulder, he lightly kissed one shoulder then the other. His lips burned a path of desire across her collarbone and up her throat to her chin. Then he kissed her tenderly on the lips. To her dismay, he sat up suddenly and grinned down at her.

“That’s all for tonight,” he proclaimed in a ragged voice. “We have important things to discuss—like why you were traipsing around outside on a stormy night.”

Tori blushed in embarrassment. The heat it created in her went all the way from her face to her nightgown. With a grimace, she admitted, “I thought I was chasing you.”

The levity left his face in an instant. “You were chasing somebody? Do you know who?”

“I told you; I thought it was you. But looking back on it, it couldn’t have been you. Your car wasn’t here when I left the house, but it is now. And your shirt was soaked when you gave it to me. The man I saw was wearing a trench coat.”

“Where was this person?”

“I’m not even sure it was a person.” Her face heated again with embarrassment caused by her overactive imagination. “All I saw was the shadow of a man. I’d heard noises in the house earlier, so it could have been my imagination.”

“You don’t believe that for a second.”

“All right. I don’t. But how else can you explain that he disappeared before I could find him?”

“Where was he?” Cole demanded. “Which way was he going? And why the hell were you chasing him? You should have let him get away.”

“He was just inside the woods on the opposite side of the pastures. That’s got to be a good hundred yards from the house.”

“You still wanted to chase him.”

“You bet I did! At first I thought you were trying to sneak into the house so you could protect me without my knowing about it. Once it even crossed my mind that maybe you’d come to scare me into moving in with you. That won’t work, by the way, because I don’t scare easily.”

“You were scared as hell when I caught up with you tonight,” he reminded her. “Admit it.”

“Okay, I was scared, but I was scared because I thought a stranger was trying to assault me. As far as I was concerned, you were in the woods. I’m glad that you showed up when you did.” She smiled seductively and continued in a sexy voice. “In more ways than one.”

“You can just get that notion out of your pretty head right now. We’re not doing anything more tonight.”

“Spoil sport,” she teased. Then an unexpected thought struck her. “Wait a minute. Where did you get the shorts?”

Cole grinned and winked at her. “I brought them from home—along with several changes of clothes. You were right about my wanting to protect you, Tori. I just don’t like you living out here alone. Since you’re too stubborn to move into my beach house, I have to move into my mansion instead. And you can’t kick me out, because I own the place.”

“I don’t want to kick you out,” she said in a small voice. “In fact, I’m glad you’re moving in.”

Staring down at her suspiciously, he replied, “That’s a huge turnabout. What changed your mind?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like I’m going crazy. At first, I thought you were sneaking around here, moving things I’d put one place to other places. Now I know better. I guess I’m just getting forgetful. Although, how my nightgown got from the back of the bathroom door to the kitchen without me realizing it is beyond me. I spent the whole day cleaning in here.”

“Maybe Dad’s snooping around. Maybe he’s trying to gaslight you out of here.”

“Gaslight me? Oh, come on. Surely he wouldn’t want me to think I’m crazy. He has to reason to.”

“We don’t know what reasons he may have yet, honey.”

“I don’t buy it.”

“You know, he could have been the man you saw tonight.”

“I thought of that, too.”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow afternoon. I doubt he’ll stick around as long as he knows I’m here.”

“I suppose not.”

“So, are you calmed down enough for bed yet?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“As a matter of fact, I am. I’m also exhausted enough. This has been quite a night, hasn’t it.”

“It certainly has,” he replied with a reassuring smile. “Tell you what. I got my first aid kit out of the truck. I’ll wrap your ankle and put you to bed. Do you have any aspirin for the pain?”

“Thanks,” she said, “but as long as I stay off it, it doesn’t hurt much.”

Rising, Cole took the ace bandage from his kit on the table. “You know, woman? You’re getting more interesting all the time. Now you’re brave in the face of adversity, too. I like that in a woman.”

Happy that he was there, Tori watched in silence as he wrapped her ankle. To her horror, however, he picked her up when he finished. She protested vehemently the entire time he carried her upstairs and laid her on the bed, despite her vivid memories of their passion.

When he kissed her lips lightly, she almost pulled him into bed. But she restrained herself, because she was exhausted. She didn’t want to spoil their first intimacy by being too tired to enjoy it. As he left to go back to the kitchen for the bedding, she rolled onto her side and slid her hand under her head.

By the time Cole returned, she was already asleep with a contented smile across her lips. Covering her with the quilt, he sat down on the edge of the bed and stared down at her. He didn’t like what was happening. As far as he knew, his father didn’t even own a trench coat. Richard always wore a slicker to work on the farm. So the man Tori had seen had to have been somebody else—unless Richard used a different kind of coat to keep suspicion from himself.

Chapter 4, Part 1

Chapter 4

“Let’s get out of here,” Cole said as he steered Tori toward the door by the elbow.

“I thought you wanted to talk to your father,” she protested, hurrying to keep up with him.

“I already did.”

His voice was filled with so much pain that Tori’s heart went out to him. Obviously, their conversation hadn’t gone well; and just as obviously, Cole didn’t want to discuss it. His heart-wrenching silence shouted the fact more loudly than his words ever could.

Not knowing what to say, Tori rushed with him to the Rogue and got in when he opened the door for her. After he slammed it shut, he rounded the back and slid in behind the wheel. As soon as he closed his door, he laid his head back on the whiplash protector and sighed heavily.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concerned by his behavior.

He turned his head toward her and grinned boyishly, but even though it was night, Tori could tell his heart wasn’t in his deception. If it were, his eyes would be sparkling brightly in this well-lit area of the parking lot. Instead, they were clouded with worry and anger.

“Stay with me at my beach house,” he suggested lightly.

“I can’t, Cole,” she said. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“Then agree to talk to me there.”

It was tempting. They would have privacy plus the ocean’s seductive waves to relax them. Unfortunately, those waves were part of her reason for not wanting to go. She was terrified that more than just talking would happen if they went to the beach house. Determined to keep her emotional distance, she answered him shortly. “No.”

When he turned his head back, she almost regretted her answer. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so badly if she explained. “I think I understand what you’re feeling right now, Cole. You had an argument with your father, and you don’t want to be alone because you’re afraid you’ll dwell on it. I feel the same way after I argue with my mother. Maybe it’s a normal reaction.”

Cole sighed again then said, “You don’t understand at all. This isn’t about Dad and me, Tori. It’s about you and me.” Turning in his seat, he met her gaze. “We’ve known each other three days now, although it feels more like three centuries. And in those three days, you’ve run away from me three times. Why?”

Tori felt a lump grow in her throat. Every time she thought she had her emotions under control, he did or said something that made her heart go out to him. Why did she always feel like an unconcerned witch because she refused to let herself experience his emotions? She didn’t even know this man—while at the same time, she felt like she’d known him forever.

Not sure how to respond, she spoke in a soft voice that she hoped would relay the message she couldn’t express. “I’m only aware of having done it once. That’s tonight, and it was because our conversation was just plain too personal.”

“What about yesterday?”

“I told you then that I was running away to prove that I could.”

“What about the evening we met?” he reminded her. “You took off like a light without even drinking your margarita.”

“In that case, I was running to make an appointment.” Pausing, she smiled to lighten the conversation. “With you if you’ll recall.”

But her attempt to cheer him failed, because he grasped both of her hands and gazed over at her as he spoke in a somber tone. “Don’t run off again, Tori. If you want me to take you back to the mansion, you have to promise not to leave.”

“Is that why you want me to stay with you?” she asked incredulously. “Because you’re afraid I’ll run away?”

Instantly, he released her and resumed his former position. When he responded several seconds later, his voice lacked all the passion it had carried only moments earlier. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. Will you promise not to leave the mansion?”

“On one condition,” she agreed. “Once we’re there, you have to tell me what your father said to upset you like he did.”

“Will that get you to stay?”

“Absolutely.”

“All right then. I’ll tell you—but only after we get to the plantation. I need time to think about what happened and decide how to explain.” Sliding his key into the ignition, he gazed over at her. “You know something, Tori? You’re very understanding, and I appreciate you all the more for it.”

Unsure what to say, Tori fell silent. She’d never met a man who was so honest about his feelings. Every other one she’d known hid his emotions, and she didn’t know how to react to Cole’s openness. At least, she didn’t have to worry about him hiding things from her like Paul had. Cole would communicate, and that was very important in a relationship.

What was she thinking! She didn’t want a relationship with Cole Marshall. He had hired her to do a job, so she had to keep their growing closeness at bay. Remembering that would serve two purposes: it would keep her from getting hurt again, and she could do her job better. But the intimacy was already growing stronger. She could feel it as surely as she could feel the tension that coursed through her body every time Cole came near, as surely as she could feel the security of being in his arms when he’d held her after she found the skeleton that afternoon. Had it only been that afternoon? It seemed decades ago.

If he knew she wanted to run to him rather than away, he never would have accepted her decision not to stay at his beach house. Worse still, if he knew, he would probably sweep her into his arms and kiss her. And if that happened, she would lose every ounce of logic she so desperately clung to.

Cole glanced at Tori as she watched the scenery pass. He should have kept his mouth shut about being afraid that she would run away, even if he hadn’t admitted that the mere thought of losing her terrified him. Now he was anxious about her reaction to their brief conversation.

She wasn’t saying anything—not even about the restoration job. He’d said too much before they left the parking lot, but he couldn’t retract his words now. He’d shown her that his vulnerability lay in her, and he didn’t know what to say to validate his trepidation where she was concerned. Why couldn’t he be as aloof as she was? Why did he have to let his heart take over his words? He’d tried to cover the truth, but she’d understood everything he hadn’t said.

Why was his life suddenly so complex? Why couldn’t it be nice and simple like it was just four days ago? Because his life wasn’t uncomplicated four days ago, that was why. Even then he’d had an odd feeling about the mansion. He just hadn’t realized what it was. Now he’d unwittingly involved Tori in his tangled life.

An astute man would tear up the contract and send her away before she got hurt. His unsubstantiated fear that Tori could get hurt because of what she’d found, however, was nothing compared to the fear that Tori could hurt him by simply walking away. These feelings of attraction to her were so strong he couldn’t deny them. He’d only given his heart to one woman, and she’d left him with only a note of explanation. He couldn’t bear it if that happened a second time.

It had taken years for him to come to terms with his mother leaving. To this day, in fact, that sense of desertion still haunted him. Maybe, if he worded it right, he could find out what Tori thought of his mother’s actions. He had to be very careful, though, to see that she didn’t suspect he was testing her reaction.

“Tori?” he asked, abruptly ending the silence.

She turned her gaze to him. “What is it?”

“Could I ask you a personal question?”

“I suppose.”

“I came to terms with Mom’s leaving years ago. For all I know, she could even be dead by now, although I don’t want to believe that’s true. I want to believe that she’s out there—somewhere—wondering how we kids turned out, wishing she could see us again. But one question still nags at me. Maybe you can answer it. I don’t feel right asking my sisters because They’re personally involved. Why would a mother leave her children with a note telling them that she would keep in touch then never do it? Why would a loving mother like mine leave her children in the first place?”

Her expression told him everything. She didn’t want to answer this question, but he desperately needed to know how she felt about what had happened.

“Well, Tori?” he prompted when she didn’t respond after several seconds. “You told me that I could ask.”

“I know. I’m just not sure how to answer. You said it was a personal question, but I’m not sure if I should answer in my perspective or your mother’s.”

“I want to know from your perspective.” Cole was stunned by his response. He’d planned to be careful in this and had unintentionally admitted that he wanted her perspective. But how else would he get it? “Could you ever do something like that?”

“If you were thinking about your mother, why do you want my perspective?”

“I just do. Please, Tori. I really need the opinion of an objective person.”

Tori studied him for a moment. Even in the dark she could see that his question stemmed from years of speculation and pain. But why did he want her to answer in her view, not his mother’s? And should she? After all, doing so could give him the impression that she didn’t mind him wondering about her ability to stay with a man. And she didn’t want to leave that impression since she had no intention of staying around after the renovation of his childhood home.

Maybe she should avoid the subject altogether and tell him about the letter from Carl to Lucinda. No, now wasn’t the time for that. She should probably wait until they were at the mansion where she could show the letter to him.

“Come on, Tori,” he pleaded. “Answer me.”

“Well,” she replied, unsure how to word her explanation, “I know how much it hurts a child when a parent leaves. I also know it isn’t easy for the parent. Dad always had a terrible time dropping us off at home after visitation. He always hugged us so tightly that you would have thought there wouldn’t be a next time. It’s possible that she wanted to get in touch with you but kept putting it off because of the circumstances. Maybe time slipped by so fast that she doesn’t know how to contact you. It’s possible that she’s too embarrassed to or maybe afraid that you and your sisters will reject her after all these years.”

“You’re speculating on Mom’s reasons for not contacting us, Tori. You didn’t answer what you would do.”

“I don’t know what I would do. I’m not in the circumstances, and one should never speculate on what he or she might do. It isn’t possible for one to know how he would react in a given situation.” Nervous about the topic, she decided to change it. “Now wouldn’t it be better if we discussed something more productive than this—like my restoration ideas?”

He studied her silently for what seemed like an eternity then said, “You think she killed my uncle and ran away to hide, don’t you.”

“I didn’t say that!” But she wondered how he could have known what was in her mind.

“It isn’t possible, you know. Mom was a gentle person. She never even raised a hand toward my sisters or me. And I gave her plenty of opportunities. How could she have killed somebody? Besides, she could never have boarded up that wall alone.” Horrified by what he was saying, Tori stared over at him, but he kept his eyes on the road, effectively avoiding her gaze. “No way! Dad and Mom in cahoots over a murder? It’s not possible. Okay, Dad’s temper is even worse than mine, but he would never murder anybody. I don’t care what you think. And there’s nothing you can say that will change my mind. I don’t care what the circumstantial evidence is. Dad just couldn’t do it, and I’ll do everything I can to keep him out of jail.” Cole turned his sorrowful gaze on her again, while Tori stared at him in shock. His rambling was starting to worry her more than she cared to consider. Then he looked back to the road and spoke again, his voice filled with determination. “We said we were going to talk about this at the mansion. Let’s wait until we get there.”

Cole was obviously trying to deny his own suspicions, but now wasn’t the time to suggest it. She would just let him consider his words until they got home.

 ***

        By the time they arrived at the mansion, Tori had a massive migraine from the stress of the day. Digging the keys out of her pocket, she hurried to unlock the house while Cole followed her. She went straight to the front parlor, but stopped short in the doorway when she flicked on the light.

She’d been sure that she left her purse on the Chippendale side table by the door, but it was gone. When she glanced around the room, it was nowhere in sight. Turning around, she bumped into Cole. His hands tenderly grasped her upper arms to steady her then slid to her shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied. “I thought I left my purse in there, but I must have left it in the kitchen.”

“No,” he replied, peering around her, “you left it right here on the … Well, I’ll be darned. I could have sworn you left it right there. Maybe it is in the kitchen.” As they started through the dining room, Cole stopped and grabbed her elbow again. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” she asked.

“That scuffling sound.”

Shaking her head, Tori chuckled. “Cole Marshall, how do you expect to live in this house if every noise you hear makes you skittish? There are rats and squirrels in the barn, and there are probably a few here. The little varmints always find their ways into empty houses.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he agreed with his crooked grin. “We’ll get an exterminator out here as soon as we get that skeleton out of the apartment.”

Tori’s purse was sitting on the antique bucket bench in the kitchen. After taking out her bottle of fiorinal, she got a glass, drew some water, and swallowed the capsule. Then she sat down on a long bench at the large, sawbuck table dating from the Eighteenth Century. While she watched silently, Cole got a Coke from the refrigerator. Sitting down on the opposite side of the four-foot wide table, he leaned forward on one of his forearms.

“Okay,” she said as he sipped his drink, “out with it. Explain that strange conversation you had with yourself in the car.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he returned.

“Oh, yes, you do,” she declared, irritated by his denial. “You were trying to convince yourself that your parents didn’t have anything to do with murder. What happened when you talked to your father?”

“Nothing.”

“Coleman Marshall,” she said maternally.

“Okay, you win.” He shook his head. “Either you sound just like Mom, or I’m imagining it because of where we are. Anyway, a lot happened. He said he didn’t know anything about the skeleton, and I accused him of lying. He was, too. I could tell by the way he was acting. He was real fidgety. That’s when I accused him of killing Carl.”

“What did he say?” she asked, trying to conceal her own nervousness.

“He denied it, of course—but not until after I assaulted him.”

Tori gasped in shock. “You hit your father?”

“Naw, I just grabbed his shirt.” He reached across the table and grasped her hands, rubbing the backs with his thumbs. Wild desire exploded in her. Did he know what he did to her every time he held her hands? Probably not, she decided as he finished his explanation. “But that wasn’t enough for me. I accused him of killing Mom and Claire, too.”

“You should apologize,” Tori said.

Cole shook his head. “I can’t, Tori, because I believe my accusations. I don’t want to, but I do. Dad knows everything about that skeleton, too, right down to who it is and why it was in the alcove. I know he does.”

“That doesn’t make him a murderer.”

“Maybe not, but it does make him an accessory, either before or after the fact. And that’s still a serious crime when murder’s involved.” He paused a moment, gazing at her longingly as he rose to lean against the counter and sip his Coke. “What do you think, Tori? Could it be Carl? Could Dad be involved in his murder?”

“We should call the police, Cole,” she answered. “Let them come up with evidence. All of your presumptions are eating you up inside. You have to stop speculating before you make yourself sick.”

“I can’t call the police until I know how Dad’s involved. And before you say anything, that’s not speculation. His body language is a dead give-away. I can tell by the way he’s been acting that he knows everything. He just won’t tell me.”

“You still have to contact the police. If you don’t, you’ll be in as much trouble as your father if he’s involved. And if he’s not, you’ll be in trouble all by yourself.” She wandered to stand directly before him. “No, not by yourself, Cole. You’re getting Jack and me in trouble, too. Is that really what you want? To involve a friend and a business associate?”

“You’re not just an associate, Tori.” He set his Coke on the counter and caressed her shoulders. “I haven’t thought of you like that for one second. And no, I don’t want to involve my friends.” Then he released her and started toward the door in the short hallway off the kitchen. “I’d better get the hell out of here before I try to convince you to let me stay. You need your sleep, and you probably won’t get it if I don’t go home.”

“Don’t worry. The fiorinal I took for my headache puts me out pretty quickly.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone out here?” he asked in concern as he unlocked the door. “I could stay in my old bedroom if you want.”

“And have a skittish man on my hands?” she teased with a wink.

“I don’t feel right about leaving you here alone. I should do everything I can to protect you.”

“From a skeleton?” She smiled up at him in an attempt to relieve his mind. “You go on. I’ll be fine.”

“Tori?” He gazed down at her with desire gleaming in his eyes and licked his lips slowly. Oh, how she wished he would kiss her! But instead, he simply smiled. “Never mind. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. I know it’s Sunday, but I want to see if I can dig up some dental records on Carl. Don’t forget to be up in time for Jack.”

“I will be,” she agreed. “Good night.”

“Night, Tori. Lock the door after me.”

When she could no longer see his SUV, she leaned her head against a pane of glass and sighed in disappointment. He’d left without a kiss.

 ***

        Tori woke with a start and glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside the antique canopy bed. It was nearly three in the morning. And that was no squirrel or rat she’d heard. It was a bump, like something falling over. She listened carefully. Those weren’t the scuffling sounds of a rodent, either. Those were footsteps!

She padded silently through the house, following the footsteps. As she made her way down the main stairs, the shadow of a man wearing a trench coat moved slowly along a wall illuminated by moonlight. She’d suspected that she hadn’t seen the last of Cole that night, and apparently, she’d been right. He’d probably decided to come back to the mansion so he could protect her without her suspecting. Maybe he’d knocked something over trying to sneak in.

“What do you think you’re doing here, Coleman Marshall?” she called out as she hurried down the rest of the stairs.

The footsteps sped into a run. Still unfamiliar with the house, Tori couldn’t keep up with the man. By the time she reached the kitchen, he was gone. So much for telling Cole that she didn’t want his protection. He’d gotten out of the house without her even hearing the door close.

 ***

Chapter 4, Part 2

Cole couldn’t believe his luck. Although the first four dentists had never heard of Carl, the fifth turned up some interesting information.

“This is Dr. Greenwood,” he said when he returned Cole’s message to his answering service. “What can I do for you?”

“My name is Cole Marshall, Dr. Greenwood.”

“Cole Marshall?” the dentist repeated. “The one on the radio?”

“That’s right, sir.”

“Well, I’ll be. We listen to your program at the office every day. We really enjoy it.”

“Thank you. I was hoping you could help me, Dr. Greenwood. I’m doing some research on a Carl Lucas. Do you know him?”

“I was before he left town. He was a good friend of mine, and he told me that he was going to run off with his sister-in-law. It’s been …” The dentist paused a moment. “I don’t know. It’s probably been twenty years since I last heard from him.”

“Do you still have his records?” Cole asked.

“They’re most likely in storage. I don’t dispose of any records unless I’m sure the person has died.”

“Could I borrow them for a few days?”

“I don’t see why not, but I don’t understand why you would want to.”

“His sister-in-law is my mother. There’s been an accident, and they need dental records both of Mom and Carl to see if they’re the burn victims.”

“Surely, they’ve had dental work over the past twenty years. Everything’s changed by now.”

“It isn’t so much that,” Cole lied carefully, “as it is trying to see if the victims could be Mom and Carl. Apparently, there’s evidence that they were using assumed names.”

“All right, Mr. Marshall. Meet me at my office, and I’ll have the records. By the way, what was your mother’s name? I can see if she was my patient, too.”

“I’d really appreciate that, sir,” Cole said. “Her name’s Lucinda Marshall. I’ll be there in about an hour. Will that be enough time?”

“Give me at least two. I need to go to a storage locker first.”

“Thanks a lot, Dr. Greenwood. I really appreciate all the help.”

 ***

        After finishing cleaning the cupboards and drawers in the mansion kitchen, Tori went to the apartment. There she saw Jack diligently working on some pieces of bone with the equipment he’d brought.

“How’s it going?” Tori asked.

“Slowly,” Jack replied without even glancing at her. “What have you been doing?”

Sinking onto the couch, Tori sighed, suddenly exhausted by everything that had been happening since she got to Charleston. “Cole cleaned the apartment before I came, but he didn’t do anything in the house. I’m pretty the cops won’t find anything here, but I don’t want to risk contaminating anything that came up after I found the skeleton. That’s why I’m staying in the main house. Anyway, I want to buy some groceries later, so I disinfected all the cupboards in the kitchen.”

He glanced over at her then took a second, longer look as he sat back on his knees. Tori turned her attention to her clothing and noticed all the soot on her shirt and jeans. Grimacing, she said, “I also cleaned one of the fireplaces. Is there anything I can help with?”

“No thanks,” Jack said with a smile. “I’ve done about all I can here. I’ll have to take some bone samples back to my office where I have equipment for detailed analyses.”

“You have equipment for doing autopsies at your office?” she asked incredulously. “Why?”

“Didn’t Cole tell you? I work for the coroner as an assistant medical examiner. Mostly doing forensics work and testifying at trials, but I’ve done my share of autopsies, too.”

Tori watched him silently for a moment as he gathered his belongings together. He seemed very friendly now, not at all like their original meeting when he’d been rather distant toward her. Did she dare ask him why he’d appeared so suspicious of her when they’d met? Or should she let it rest and hope that he would come around?

Unable to contain her curiosity, she questioned him slowly. “Why did you act so suspicious of me yesterday?”

Shooting his startled gaze to her, he wandered to the overstuffed chair and sank down into it. “I’m just concerned about Cole. He’s been my friend for a long time. We corresponded every week the entire time he was gone. Then we ended up at the same college. I know him almost as well as I know myself. That’s why I want to protect him.”

“From me?” she asked in amazement.

“He doesn’t trust women because of what his mother did. Since you showed up, all he can think of is protecting you. Frankly, I’ve never seen him treat a woman like he does you. I’m just afraid he’ll get hurt.”

At that moment, Cole burst through the door with a jovial greeting. Tori sighed in relief, glad that he had interrupted. Her conversation with Jack had started down a road she didn’t want to take.

“Here are the dental records,” Cole said as he handed a large, manila folder to Jack.

Accepting the folder, Jack rose and returned to the skeleton. “I have to admit that I wasn’t sure you could pull this off. How did you find the dentist and convince him to give you these records without going into detail?

“I gave him a partial truth,” Cole explained as he sat down beside Tori and draped his arm around her shoulders. “Jack was his good friend, and Jack had told him that he and Mom were running away together. He was a little suspicious that I wanted the dental records because it had been so long. I really hadn’t thought of that when I called around. Anyway, I covered by having him look for Mom’s, too. I wouldn’t even have thought of it if he hadn’t offered.”

When Jack opened the jawbone, Tori shuddered in distaste. How could he be so casual about his work? Beside her, Cole tightened his hold. Gazing up at him, she saw his crooked grin and shook her head slowly. Now what was he planning? The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than Cole’s voice rang pleasantly in her ear.

“So, pal, now that you’ve had a chance to chat with Tori,” Cole asked, “does that she pass inspection?”

“We didn’t talk that much, but she passes. And that’s not necessarily good.”

“I know,” Cole admitted with a grimace. “Dad’s probably going to balk when he meets her.”

“Why?” Tori asked, slightly offended by the remark.

“We have different tastes in women. He thinks I should find somebody he likes and learn to like her myself. I say it doesn’t work that way.”

Tori grimaced. She didn’t like the turn this conversation had taken, either. Not only did she have no intention of getting closer to Cole, she refused to even consider it.. She’d thought she’d made that perfectly clear to him. Now he was talking like this was going to be a long-term commitment at the very least, a lifetime one at the most. Nope, if she could be rational, she wasn’t even going to entertain the possibility. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to be rational very often where Cole was concerned.

Determined to keep her distance, Tori pushed away and glared up at him. “I don’t want to be your taste in women. I don’t want to be your father’s taste, either. I just want to be your restoration expert and do my job.”

Cole laughed. “Don’t get on your high horse. I was just stating a fact. Besides, where’s there a law written that says you can’t be both?”

“In my etiquette manual,” she declared. “I don’t horse around with my clients.”

“That’s okay by me. If we decide to horse around, I’ll fire you. Then I’ll hire you again when it’s all over.”

“Damn it, Cole! I’m not that kind of woman.”

“Which makes you all the more interesting.” Across the room, Jack rose with a chuckle, and Cole turned toward his friend. “What do you think?”

“I think you’ve finally met your match,” Jack returned.

Cole gazed at Tori longingly, his green eyes somehow brighter than she’d seen them yet. “I could have told you that, but I was talking about the remains.”

“I know. Say hello to your uncle Carl.”

Cole’s frivolity disappeared in an instant, replaced by a vivid disappointment. Tori’s heart went out to him. She knew that, despite the passing of the years, he still felt the loss. But when he responded, he sounded quite calm. “I was afraid of that. Now I really do think Dad lied to me.”

Tori realized that now was the time to tell him what she’d found. “That might not be the case, Cole.” She hesitated, reluctant to mention her discovery even though she’d brought it up herself. But the men needed to know all the information she had. “Now that we have a positive identification, there’s something you should know. I found a letter yesterday—from Carl to Lucinda. That was your mother’s name, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. What did the letter say?”

“That Carl was staying with Claire because he couldn’t hurt her by running off.”

Cole gasped and stared down at her in horror. “Oh, my God. You think Mom did it. But she couldn’t have, Tori. I told you before that she isn’t that kind of person. Besides, she could never have built that wall. She’s as afraid of heights as I am. She couldn’t have gotten anywhere close to the ceiling to paint the wall, let alone construct it. She probably couldn’t even have figured out how. Dad probably did it. It’s the only logical explanation. What was the date on the letter, and where is it?”

“I put it back where I found it, and there was no date.”

“Mom’s letter to us kids was dated August 1. They could have changed their minds.”

“And they might not have. You have to accept the theory, Cole.”

“I won’t!” he roared. “I’ll never accept such an absurd notion. The whole idea is ludicrous. Why can’t you see that?”

“I’m not emotionally involved. I’m a third party to all of this.”

“So am I,” Jack inserted as he finished packing up his equipment, “and I agree with Cole. Mrs. Marshall was my favorite person when we were growing up. She always welcomed me—even if I just got off the bus with Cole after school. All I had to do was call home and tell my mother where I was.” He picked up his belongings and started toward the door. “Matt’s scheduled to leave work at seven tonight, so I’ll be alone after that. Don’t come by until at least nine, though, in case he’s late or has to come back for some reason. I’ll tell you then what I came up with, and we’ll go to the police with our findings.”

“All right,” Cole agreed as he followed Jack toward the door. “In the meantime, I’m going to have Tori show me the letter she found. Maybe there’s some way I can prove to her how ridiculous her theory is.”

 ***

        As they sat on the 200-year-old Queen Anne sofa in the library, Tori questioned Cole about the letters. “Is there anything in there that will disprove my theory?”

He gazed at her sadly, hating to admit the truth. “No, but I still can’t believe it. My mother just isn’t that kind of person. She would have been disappointed, but she couldn’t have been jealous enough to kill Carl. Besides, maybe Carl wasn’t murdered. Maybe he died of natural causes. Jack didn’t see any evidence of a mortal injury.”

“Think about it, Cole. How many people are boarded up in an alcove after a natural death? Things like that aren’t done. The only logical explanation is murder. You just don’t want to accept it.”

The lump in Cole’s throat grew larger as he stared at her. He couldn’t believe that either of his parents was involved in murder. He sighed heavily and swallowed hard to clear his throat. “How can I accept it, honey? The number one suspect is my mother; the number two suspect is my father. Don’t you see how devastating this is for me?”

Tori took his hand and squeezed it tenderly. “Of course, I do, but denial’s only going to make it harder for you.”

“My mind tells me that you’re right, but my heart can’t accept the evidence.” He paused a moment. Should he say more? Or should he take the chance of making a fool of himself by speaking his mind? If he was going to be honest, it didn’t make much difference. He already felt like a fool for falling so hard for a woman he didn’t know, and that much was already obvious to her. Besides, admitting his confusion concerning his parents’ involvement in Carl’s death might bring her closer to him. And he wanted that more than answers right now.

To still his anxiety, he took a deep breath then said, “Actually, my heart’s never been more confused about life’s unexpected turns than it is right now. I want Dad to be innocent, but I want to believe that he was the one who killed Carl. I want Mom to be innocent, too. Most of all, I want to send you home, but I can’t. Like I said, our lives are entangled, especially now that we’ve unearthed this mystery. You’re as much involved in it as I am, and I can’t protect you if you leave town.”

“You don’t need to protect me,” she countered.

“Oh, yes, I do. And starting tonight, you’re coming to my place. No more sleeping here.”

“I am not leaving,” she denied in her most authoritative tone. “And I’m definitely not moving in with you.”

In her anger, Tori almost blurted out that she’d seen him the night before, but something stopped her. Cole wasn’t the only man who knew where the plantation was—so did his father and Jack. But as far as she knew, Cole was the only person other than herself who had keys to the mansion.

Besides, now that she was thinking rationally again, she wasn’t sure that Cole had been there last night. It could just as easily have been Richard or Jack trying to scare her into leaving. Although, she wasn’t really sure what motive Jack would have for doing such a thing.

Now she was reluctant to bring up the subject to Cole. She certainly didn’t want him to confront either Jack or Richard and accuse him of terrorizing her. That could cause hard feelings all around.

“Why won’t you move in with me?” he asked. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course, I do. It’s just that …”

Nervous, Tori wandered to the window without finishing her sentence. Since she was working for him, she couldn’t tell him the truth—that each time they were together her attachment to him grew stronger. Each time the sparks his touch sent through her increased in intensity, and someday those sparks would start a fire that she could only extinguish in one way.

While she watched his reflection in the window, Cole wandered up behind her and caressed her shoulders. Then he questioned her in a mocking tone. “It’s just what, honey? Just that you like me a little too much? Exactly the way I like you?”

Why did he have to hold her again? she wondered frantically. Why couldn’t he keep his hands to himself? Worse yet, why didn’t she try to get away from him? At least, the last question was easy to answer. She didn’t want to! She liked having him hold her and had no intention of denying herself the pleasure of his caresses. Still, she had to deny Cole everything if she didn’t want to get hurt again.

“You obviously have an elevated opinion of yourself,” she said dryly. “You could use a few lessons in humility.”

Cole chuckled. “I’m just stating the obvious, sweetheart. Even under your tough exterior, it shows.”

Something in the woods about fifty feet from the house caught Tori’s attention. But the shadow was only there for a second. Shaking her head, she chastised herself. She really needed to get her mind off Cole’s coming to the mansion last night because her already overactive imagination had gone into overdrive. Now she was starting to see things.

Regaining her composure, she broke away from him. “Let’s get out of here for a while. You could use a break from the letters so you can see things more clearly. And I need to do some grocery shopping. Let’s go our separate ways for the rest of the day. I’ll meet you at the Tides about nine so we can meet Jack.”

“Good idea.” His expression took on that playful look he got every time he was about to make another comment with a sexual overtone. “I have a few things I need to do this afternoon, too—like talk to Dad. Come to think of it, maybe we should meet at my place. We might run into him at the Tides.”

Shaking of her head, Tori smiled up at him. “Nice try, but I’ll take my chances with meeting your father. If we met at your house, I have the distinct impression that we’d be late meeting Jack, because I’d have to fight off an amorous client.”

“You’re probably right,” he said in a sensuous tone. “Get your purse while I check the locks.”

 ***

        Cole didn’t like what he saw. Jack should be waiting in the morgue lobby, but he wasn’t. And it wasn’t like Jack not to do what he said he would.

“What’s the matter, Cole?” Tori asked.

“I don’t know,” he returned, taking her hand. “Come on. Let’s find his office.”

Several minutes later they came to a room with the door open only a couple of inches. They stopped outside, and Cole listened silently for movement. He heard nothing.

“Jack?” he shouted. “You here?”

There was no response. Tori grasped his forearm with both hands. Her grip was so strong that he knew she was frightened.

“This is spooky, Cole,” she said, her voice cracking. “We’re in a morgue, and there’s not a sound. Maybe we should leave.”

“Don’t worry, honey,” he said as he patted her hand reassuringly. “Nobody here is going to jump out and grab us. Besides, I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t think this place is spooky.”

Cole chuckled as he pushed open the door. “You in here, Jack?” Again he met with silence. He peeked inside. A partially dissected body lay on a table, so he glanced at Tori. “You stay here. Jack’s been working.” Tori nodded silently while Cole stepped into the room. That feeling in his gut that he’d had lately told him that he had to be very careful not to touch anything in case …

Stopping short, Cole stared at the floor about five feet from him. “Oh, my God! Get the hell out of here, Tori. Fast!”

Tori didn’t even think to question him. Terrified by his tone, she raced down the corridor and ran through the front doors, not stopping until she got to his car. Her heart pumped unmercifully as she collapsed back against the Rogue; she panted hard from the mixture of fear and sudden exertion. What had happened to make Cole so frantic?

Chapter 3, Part 1

 Chapter 3

Tori woke the next morning with an uneasy feeling. Getting out of bed, she wandered to her purse and withdrew the keys Cole had made for her. She absently jangled them in the palm of her hand while considering her situation.

Everything was final now. There was no turning back, not that she wanted to. Most of the time she liked being with Cole. The only time she didn’t was when he got spooky on her—like the night they’d met and yesterday in the mansion apartment. She didn’t like his overprotective nature, either. Apparently, he thought of her as a sister, even though the look in his eyes often carried a distinct expression of longing.

Maybe she should go out to the house while he was at work. She had an awful lot to do just to get the project specifications that she needed before she could actively start. To begin with, she needed to thoroughly check the roof, but she couldn’t while he was there. He was too skittish about heights. She also wanted to open the alcove, and that was something that he would oppose no matter how hard she tried to reason with him.

Again her senses screamed that he was hiding something. Taking a rose from the vase, she inhaled the fragrance deeply. Cole had been ten years old when his parents had separated. He probably didn’t even know the real cause of their divorce.

Sticking the rose back, she bounced the keys in her other hand. Cole had been away at camp when the final split came. He could only know what his father had told him, and what his mother’s farewell letter had explained. She’d fallen in love with his uncle, and the two of them were leaving South Carolina. Apparently, Cole’s father had told him that they left separately so nobody would get suspicious.

What had happened to his aunt? Why hadn’t she stayed at the mansion? And why not take the furniture when she left? Maybe she simply hadn’t been able to bear the memories. The apartment only had one bedroom, so it was doubtful that children were involved on that side of the family. Cole’s aunt obviously had nothing to hold her there.

Dismissing her thoughts, Tori laid the keys on the dresser and went into the bathroom to shower. When she finished, she ordered room service. After eating, she set the tray of dirty dishes outside the door. As she closed it, her gaze fell on the mansion keys.

Cole had given her a map to Coleman Estates, but he’d still insisted that they meet at the Tides around 12:30. Picking up the keys again, she weighed them in her hand. If she went out to the plantation alone, she could examine the roof and check out the grounds. He wanted the plantation back in operating condition, so she also needed to see what shape the barn and other buildings were in.

Again laying the keys on the dresser, she wandered over to check the clothes she’d been wearing when she first met Cole. They were still wet, not soaking but too damp to put in her suitcase. Taking a plastic bag from the wardrobe, she put her wet clothes into it then got the rest of her belongings together. By ten-thirty she’d loaded everything into her pale sea-blue Toyota Prius and strode up to the reception desk.

“Good morning,” the young man behind the counter greeted. “Can I help you?”

“I’d like to check out,” Tori told him as she laid the room key on the counter. “I also need to leave a note for a friend. Could I please have a piece of paper?”

“Of course,” he said, handing her a piece of stationery. “What room were you in? I’ll fill out the paperwork while you write.”

“Thanks.” Tori wrote the note, folded it twice, and wrote Cole’s name across the back. Signing the check-out papers, she asked, “Will you see that Mr. Marshall gets the note? It’s very important.”

“Of course.”

Tori hurried to her car, anxious to get to work on the marvelous old house she’d done a walk-through on yesterday. This time when she approached the mansion, she felt no fear. She’d finally accepted that restoring this plantation was her destiny. Maybe that was why the eerie road to the mansion didn’t bother her anymore.

After parking her car, she took her purse and keys and went directly to the apartment. Dropping both on the coffee table, she stared at the wall where the alcove was. Did she dare break it down? No, that could wait. She was going to live there, so she could tear it down any time she wanted, as long as Cole wasn’t with her.

Going to the roof, she examined it with extra care. Thank goodness, it was in relatively good condition, although in need of reshingling. Hurricanes hadn’t done that much damage, probably because the house was so far from the shore and surrounded by such a thick growth of trees. Unable to curb her curiosity, she strode over to the edge of the apartment roof and stared down at the alcove. Why would anybody have closed it off? It could easily have housed a small study, or even a music room with a piano.

Forcing the thoughts from her mind, she carefully made her way across roof and left it via the bell tower over the kitchen. She wandered down the servants’ stairs then went outside.

Within minutes she had followed the path through a wooded area to some marshes, where there was an old dock. So this was the South Edisto River Cole had told her about. Not far away, she heard something splash in the water and glanced over in time to see a mother duck and her ducklings swimming parallel to the bank. With a soft smile, she turned to see what other parts of the plantation she could uncover.

After retracing her steps, she crossed in front of the house and wandered down the path leading away from the river. Several yards off to her right was a round smokehouse. Before her was a row of nine, brick cabins which had probably housed servants at one time. Passing the one-room dwellings, she came to the stables. That building needed a lot of work if it was going to house horses again. About fifty yards behind the stables stood the barn.

Excitement flooded through her. Maybe she could find an axe or crowbar she could use to take down the alcove wall.

 ***

        Cole read Tori’s note a second time: I’m sorry I didn’t wait, but I couldn’t sit around when I should be working.

“Damn it!” Cole exclaimed irritably as he leaned against the reception counter.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Marshall?” the young man asked.

“There sure is,” Cole returned. “That woman’s out to get herself killed. Why couldn’t she have waited for me? Damn it! I just know she’s going to do something stupid.” When he noticed the clerk’s curious expression, he explained, “She’s restoring my plantation house, and she’s probably checking out the roof. We don’t even know if it’s safe yet.”

“Do you really think she’d go up there if it isn’t safe?” the clerk asked skeptically. “She didn’t strike me as somebody who would do something dangerous.”

“I don’t know what to think,” Cole admitted flatly as he turned to leave the building.

He hoped she was checking out the roof, anyway. If she was there to tear down that alcove wall, he would ream her out something fierce. Something was wrong if it had been boarded up, and he didn’t want to know what it was. He wanted to keep whatever secret lay hidden in the alcove right there; he wanted to restore the house and get on with his life without bringing out mysteries that he had no intention of solving.

Back in his Rogue, he read the note a third time. She was probably just working. Why would he suspect anything else? They’d come to a final agreement at dinner, and she was officially, undeniably contracted to the restoration job. There was a lot to do, but he was still concerned that she would tear down the wall. And gut instinct told him that would be a terrible mistake. From the panic in his father’s voice on the phone, he had a feeling that Richard knew more about that house than he’d ever let on.

Starting the car, he grimaced. Why was it that every time he thought of the alcove he had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach? Maybe it was because it had been there when he left for camp, and now it was blocked off. There wouldn’t be any reason to change the apartment when nobody would be living in it, anyway.

His heart seemed to leap into his throat, choking away part of his exclamation. “Oh, my God!”

Cole tore out of the parking lot, barely missing a couple walking across the street. He had to get out to the mansion right away. He had to stop Tori from taking down that wall.

 ***

        The barn was as spooky as the lane leading to the house, but Tori had to search the dim, dirty, smelly building. It was in worse condition than the stables. The door had even come off its hinges when she’d carefully opened it. Maybe the cheapest thing to do on those two buildings was tear them down and start over.

A board above her creaked. She glanced up at the ceiling. There were several holes in the roof through which the sun clearly illuminated the rotting beams. All four walls had a second level that had once been the hayloft. A rickety old ladder led up each end. Everything wood looked like it was ready to collapse. She needed to find something for knocking out a wall quick—before the whole barn crashed down on her.

She moved to her right and began to circle the building, searching in every place conceivable. When she opened one storage bin, a rat scurried through a hole to the outside. Tori squealed and slammed the lid shut.

Her heart pounded as she leaned back against the bin; her breathing came in short pants. “Lordy! It’s spooky in here!” Something moved in the hayloft above her, and she gasped, pushing away from the bin. “Get hold of yourself, Tori. It’s just another rat—or maybe a squirrel. Just calm down, find something for that wall, and get out of here. You don’t want Cole to find you under a pile of rubble. He’d just say ‘I told you so.’ Oh, no! Now I’m talking to myself.”

Forcing herself to move, she quickened her search. While she looked, she hummed a cheery song in a desperate attempt to ignore the creaks and groans of boards, the chattering and movements of creatures that were more afraid of her than she was of them—if that was possible. After several minutes, she found a small hatchet; and relieved to have a reason to leave, she raced out of the barn.

When she reached the smokehouse, she leaned back against the small, circular brick building to catch her breath. That was the last time she would go into the barn without Cole. Her eyes widened in amazement. What a ridiculous thought! She didn’t need a man with her just to go into an old barn. She was a big girl. She could handle any critter the size of a rat or squirrel.

But she couldn’t necessarily handle a critter the size of Cole. Returning to the apartment, she began chopping away at the wall. The hole was just beginning to grow when she heard a scrambling. Her heart raced, and she breathed deeply to still the anxiety. Why couldn’t she stop reacting like that every time she heard a noise? She hadn’t on other jobs. Putting the hatchet down for a moment, she collected herself.

“Don’t go off the deep end, Tori,” she told herself. “If there were rats and squirrels in the barn, that’s all that’s in the wall. Just relax and keep working.”

When she had a hole big enough, she peered into the opening, but it was too dark to see anything. She needed the high-powered flashlight she kept in her car. About ten minutes later, she had chopped a hole big enough for her arm as well as her head.

Turning on her light, she put her arm into the hole then bent in to see what was in the alcove. Centered against the wall directly across from her was a seven-foot tall secretary with a bonnet top—probably another antique. After she exposed the alcove, she would see if it had a hidden compartment. There was a spindle-backed chair before it and a floor lamp off to the left.

She moved her flashlight and maneuvered herself so she could see better. Then she lost her grip. The flashlight landed on the floor with a crunch. “Darn!” She glanced down to see if she could reach it, and stopped short. Given the crunch she’d heard, she knew that the light had broken something, but this?

A scream burst forth in the alcove, a deafening shriek that rang in her ears. She’d never been good at biology, but she knew two things for sure. That was her voice, and that was a skeleton—even if the ribs had nearly disintegrated in the collision with her flashlight. It was a human skull with whitish sockets where eyes used to be. Where soft flesh had been, brittle bone lay gruesomely exposed to her view.

Another scream pierced the alcove as she pulled out of the hole. Racing from the apartment in a panic, she screamed again when, in the doorway, strong arms encircled her. She tried to push away, but the grip tightened. She screeched even louder, hoping the ghost would release her. Instead, it held her securely and spoke in a frantic voice that sounded oddly like Cole’s.

“My God, Tori!” he exclaimed. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“No!” she cried out, pushing against him in a desperate attempt to get away. “Let me out of here.”

Cole maintained his hold, his hands grasping her head as securely as his arms did her torso. He stifled his urge to kiss her. She’d been terrified by something, and he needed to calm her, not seduce her.

Several minutes later, her trembling subsided enough for him to let go. He didn’t really want to, but if he was going to keep his distance, he had no choice. Holding her shoulders at arms’ length, he asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“I know …” The words caught in her chest. She tried again. “I know why it’s boarded up.”

“You did it, didn’t you?” he asked in shock. “You tore down the damned wall. I warned you not to do that.”

“I should have listened,” she admitted. “We have to call the police.”

“The police!” he exclaimed. “My God, Tori. What did you find?”

The tears spilled over and flowed freely down her cheeks. “A skeleton.” She hugged him tightly, as though he would make her fears go away, but he just didn’t know how he could after her announcement. “Oh, God, Cole. Somebody was killed here.”

Cole gasped in horror as he returned Tori’s embrace. He’d been afraid something like this would happen. But he had to remain calm; he couldn’t let her know how upset he was. After a deep breath to still his nerves, he replied, “We don’t know that, Tori. It could have been some bum who was using the house without permission.”

“That’s ludicrous,” she proclaimed. “A bum wouldn’t board himself up in an alcove. Besides, I don’t remember seeing any clothes. Whoever it was was naked when he or she died, so he was probably ambushed. We have to call the police.”

“Not until …”

She pushed away and gazed up at him in amazement, cutting off his words.

“For God’s sake, Cole,” she said in exasperation. “Face the facts. Somebody in your family was murdered here and buried in that alcove. That’s the logical explanation. No, that’s the only explanation.”

“You think my dad did it, don’t you?” Where had that question come from? he wondered. Why had he said such a thing when he hadn’t even had time to consider the possible impact of his words?

“I don’t know what to think, Cole. Do you think your father did it?”

“I most certainly do not.” Although, he wasn’t sure it was true. “Dad would never hurt anybody.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You know something that you’re not telling me, don’t you.”

“You’ve got to believe me, Tori,” he said beseechingly. “I don’t know who or even if somebody was killed here. Maybe it was some kid playing a prank for Halloween. Now I’m going to call a doctor friend of mine whom I’ve known him since first grade. I trust him to keep a secret. I’ll have him meet me here as soon as he gets off work. I should have the wall torn down by then. But you’ll be waiting at my beach house.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she proclaimed.

“Oh, all right.” He feared that danger would follow her discovery; at the same time, he understood how she felt. “Just stay out of my way.”

As he tore down the remainder of the wall, however, he gave this turn of events serious consideration. His father had been awfully nervous about renovating the mansion to its original state. Maybe he thought they would do the same with the old chapel. It was the only logical excuse for Richard’s behavior.

By the time he finished his job and examined the bones to see if they were real, he was livid. There was no longer any doubt in his mind. His father knew about this skeleton, and he was determined to get some answers.

“I want you on the first plane you can get, Dad,” Cole said angrily when he called his father. “I have something to show you, but I can’t go into it now.”

“This sounds serious, son,” Richard returned. “What happened?”

“I can’t explain over the phone. Just get here as fast as you can.” Cole’s rage over his father’s possible secret was so strong he wanted to hit the man. Since he couldn’t, he decided that a verbal stab at Richard’s heart would suffice. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”

Cole hung up without giving his father a chance to reply. Those last words might or might not mean anything to Richard, but Cole didn’t care. He felt better for having said them, like he would have if he’d taken a swing.

 ***

        Richard stared at the handset as he hung up slowly. He didn’t like Coleman’s last words; they could only mean one thing. Picking up the handset again, Richard dialed the same number he had the night before. When it rang twenty times without an answer, he hung up. Now what was he going to do?

Chapter 3, Part 2

***

        After Cole introduced Dr. Jack Ramos to Tori, Jack knelt in the rubble and examined the skeleton while Tori and Cole watched from the sofa across the room. Cole remained silent as he sat with his arm behind Tori on the couch. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Twenty-one years ago, he’d been a devastated boy who had lost his mother and his home in a matter of two weeks. Now he wondered if things had moved so fast because his father had lost his temper once too often.

Jack sat back on his knees to face the couple. “Well, Cole, I can tell you one thing for sure. This is a man.”

“Oh, God,” Cole groaned. Could his father have flown into a rage, lost control, and taken out his uncle? Tori caressed his free hand reassuringly. With a smile, he patted her hand in response. “Thanks, Tori, but I’m okay. I already suspected as much.”

“Does that mean you know who it is?” Jack asked curiously.

“Let’s just say that I have an idea.” Rubbing his whisker-stubbled chin, Cole considered his next question. He didn’t really want to ask it, but he had to find out all he could. Cole glanced at his watch. Seven-forty-seven. Richard’s plane should be landing within an hour. By ten o’clock he would be at the Folly Beach Tides, where he always stayed when he came to town. Thank God, there was a free room when Cole called for reservations. Otherwise, Richard would have had to stay with him, and right now Cole had even less patience with his father than he normally did.

“So who do you think it is?” Jack prompted.

“Let me ask a few questions first.” Cole drew Tori closer. Her very presence gave him more courage than he suspected it would have under normal circumstances, and he flashed her a smile before returning his gaze to Jack. “Can you tell me how old those bones are?”

“I can give you a general idea,” Jack replied, “but without specific tests, that’s all I can give you.”

“General’s good enough for me. What is it?”

“I’d say he’s been here for twenty years or so.” Jack paused then asked, “You’re not thinking what I am, are you, Cole?”

Cole shrugged. “I don’t know what the hell to think, Jack. This whole thing is absolutely insane.”

“Don’t give me that crap,” Jack said irritably. “You know as well as I do that the dates add up.”

“Look. Dad and I have been at odds for years. I’ve never made any bo… secrets about that. But until somebody comes up with concrete evidence, I refuse to believe that he’s a murderer.”

“I don’t recall saying anything about him committing murder.”

“Then say it,” Cole demanded, tired of their verbal jousting.

“Okay. It probably was murder, but I didn’t mention your father. There’s no other reason a body would be boarded up in an alcove. But there aren’t any visible indications that was the cause of death. I won’t know for sure until I can run some tests. It could have been asphyxiation or poison. Do you think this is your uncle?”

“We both know it’s likely.” Cole slid his other arm around Tori and hugged her closer. “I know dental records will give us a positive ID, but is there anything else that can? I’d like to avoid going to a dentist about this.”

“The police will …”

Cole cut off his words in a firm tone. “No police, Jack. That’s why I called you. I talked to Dad last night, and he was adamant that I not renovate the mansion. He tried to get me to wait a year when I first inherited it, but I didn’t think anything about it then.  After last night, … Well, let’s just say he sure sounded nervous about me doing this. Before I tell the police what Tori found, I have to confront Dad.”

“Do you know what kind of trouble you’ll be in if you don’t report this?” Jack replied. “And I’ll be in just as much trouble. More. I could lose my license.”

“We will report it—just not right away. I need some time, Jack,” he explained as his friend dropped into the contemporary overstuffed chair near the couch. Dust flew around him, adding to the ominous aura. “I need to see what Dad says. He could be a suspect, so he should know what happened. If he knows anything, maybe I can convince him to tell the cops. He’s my father, for God’s sake. I can’t just let him go to jail. I have to talk to him first.”

Jack shook his head. “You’re not making this easy for me, Cole. There’s only one body here, and your mother disappeared the same time your uncle did. Why can’t you admit what happened?”

Cole jumped to his feet in a rage. “Are you accusing my mother of murder now? It’s not possible, and you know it. She was never a violent person. She never even spanked us kids.”

When he balled his hands into fists, Tori rushed to intervene. Scrambling to stand before him, she laid her hands on his chest and spoke calmly in an attempt to diffuse the tension. “A fight isn’t going solve anything, Cole.”

“But he’s accusing my parents of conspiring in some sordid crime. And my mother would never do something like that.”

“He’s not saying that. He’s just considering all the angles.” She glanced over her shoulder at the doctor. “Isn’t that right, Dr. Ramos?”

“Jack, and I’m just bringing up the same points the cops will. We have to call them—soon.”

As friendly as Jack sounded, his dark eyes conveyed his suspicions concerning her presence. Maybe if she kept her voice calm, he would relent in his distrustful attitude.

“He only wants to talk to his father, Jack,” she said in Cole’s defense. “Is that really too much to ask? Mr. Marshall’s supposed to be here tonight. Why not give Cole a few hours to find out what’s going on?”

“What happens if he wants days, not hours?”

“I’ll call the police myself if he doesn’t.”

Jack studied her for several moments then said, “I’d like to talk to Cole alone for a while. Would you mind taking a walk?”

“Not at all,” Tori agreed as she headed toward the door.

“Tori, no!” Cole called after her. “There’s nothing we’ll talk about that you can’t hear.”

She stopped in the doorway and looked back at him with her half-smile. “Actually, there’s probably quite a bit you can say that I shouldn’t hear. I’ll wait by the cars.”

As soon as Tori closed the door, she wandered toward the cars. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Jack standing at the window. Then he turned and left. Jack didn’t trust her, although she didn’t know why, and she wanted to know exactly what he said to Cole. Determined to find out what the men said, she rushed back to stand out of sight near the open window.

“How dare you send her away like that,” Cole demanded. “She’s my friend.”

“I didn’t hear her complain,” Jack countered. “Now sit down. I have a few questions.” Glaring at his friend, Cole dropped back onto the couch as Jack asked, “Who is Tori, anyway? Why’s she here?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but she’s restoring the mansion.”

“Is that what she was doing poking around in here? Is that what made her decide to tear down this wall?”

“She was curious.”

“Yeah, right. And I have some land in Florida to sell you if you buy that. Come on, Cole. You’re too smart to be that gullible.” Jack paused a moment to study Cole. Shaking his head, he asked, “How much do you know about her, anyway?”

“As much as I need to if she’s going to restore my mansion.”

“Where did you get her name?”

“She contacted me. She said her architect friend that I’d written to for an estimate couldn’t do the job so he suggested that she put in a bid.”

“Listen to yourself,” Jack snapped. “She contacted you. She knew to knock down that wall. Doesn’t that tell you anything?”

“It tells me that she needed a job.”

“Damn it, Cole. The woman knows exactly what she’s doing.”

“How?” Cole demanded. “She’s only been in town a couple of days. She couldn’t know anything about this.”

“Maybe she’s related to your uncle.”

“You’re grasping at straws, Jack.” Wanting to at least see Tori, Cole wandered to the window. To his dismay, she wasn’t by the cars like she’d said she would be. That could only mean one thing. She was listening to their conversation. Why? Could Jack be right? No, he didn’t believe that for a second. Tori had no reason other than curiosity to have broken down that wall. Turning back to face Jack, Cole questioned him curiously. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“I don’t know what to believe. It’s awfully convenient, though. The first thing she did was tear down a wall that has a body behind it. Surely, you can agree that that’s an awful big coincidence.”

Cole dropped back down onto the couch. “Why can’t you accept that she’s just a curious person?”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Jack said in exasperation. “I don’t trust the woman.  There are too many coincidences surrounding her.”

“Well, I trust her. And since it’s my neck on the line if I’m wrong, I’ll thank you to drop the subject.”

“Is it your neck, Cole?” Jack asked suspiciously. “Or your heart?”

Stunned, Cole stared at his friend. His heart on the line? That wasn’t possible. Jack knew he would never get that involved with a woman, so he must have misunderstood Jack’s meaning. “What are you talking about?”

“The way you look at her; the way you can’t keep your hands off her. If I weren’t here to stifle your feelings, you’d probably be hitting on her this very second.”

“That’s nonsense.” Again Cole wandered to the window. Thank God, Tori had gone back to the cars. She couldn’t have heard the last couple of sentences, so she wouldn’t suspect that Jack could easily be right, especially considering that he himself had doubts about his response.

Turning back to face his friend, Cole said, “I wouldn’t be hitting on her, either. Besides, she was too upset over finding that skeleton. You should have seen her, Jack. She was terrified. She was shaking and crying like you wouldn’t believe. It took me a long time to calm her down. No, I don’t believe for a second that she knew a body was there. She was probably more shocked than I was.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I had a gut feeling that she would find something if she tore down that wall, Jack. I didn’t know what it would be, but I knew it wouldn’t be a pleasant surprise.” Cole paused a moment. “So, what do you say, doc? Will you give me twenty-four hours?”

“Oh, all right,” Jack agreed. “Not a second more than twenty-four hours. In the meantime, I’ll take some samples right here. I can at least start to determine the cause of death. I’ll meet you in my office tomorrow night, and we’ll go to headquarters together.”

“Fine. I’ll walk you to your car.”

 ***

        Cole waited with his arm draped around Tori’s neck until Jack was gone. Then they got into his SUV, and he drove back to the Tides, where they waited for his father in the lobby.

“I don’t know why you insisted that I come with you,” Tori said as they sat together on a couch.

“One reason is that I don’t want you out at the plantation alone,” he confessed, lacing his fingers with hers, “and it’s too expensive to stay here for an extended period. That’s why I want you to stay at my place. I have two bedrooms, and we can store your things in my basement. High tide doesn’t even come close—unless there’s a hurricane.”

“Why shouldn’t I stay at the mansion? It’s not like there are ghosts or anything.”

Tori inhaled sharply as he stroked the underside of her wrist with his thumb. How could a simple, unconscious act spark the strong surge of desire that raced through her? The only thing that kept her logic in control was the rapidly fading memory of a painful relationship. She had a job to do and couldn’t get involved with Cole—no matter how much she would enjoy it.

“Tori?” he asked, bringing her back from her introspection.

Her face heated in embarrassment. “What?”

Grinning boyishly, he said, “I love to see you blush. It’s very old-fashioned, very feminine. You normally have such a cool façade that I forget you’re a capable of expressing those things.” His green-eyed gaze scanned her before he continued. “Then there are times like this afternoon when you were so scared. Beneath your tough exterior lies a soft core that I doubt many people get to see.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she admitted. “But what does that have to do with me staying at your beach house?”

“It’s safer here on the island,” he explained.

“Safer!” she repeated with a laugh. “For heaven’s sake, Cole, you’re by far the most skittish man I’ve ever met.”

“Except for a fear of heights, I never had a skittish muscle in my body until you walked into my life. Now every muscle I have itches constantly—in more ways than one. Why don’t you relent and scratch one little itch by staying at my house?”

Unable to stifle her irritation at his offensive insinuation, she chastised him. “Because I know how men are. If a woman scratches one itch, men think she’s obligated to scratch every last itch they have until they’re satisfied. Then they find another woman to scratch their new itches.” Rising, she glared down at him. “I’m going to watch the ocean. Let me know when you’re done talking to your father. Then you can take me back out to the mansion, because I have absolutely no intention of scratching you. Unless, perhaps, it’s to claw your eyes out the next time you make an asinine, chauvinistic remark.”

She stalked toward the door that led to the ocean’s edge.

Cole rose slowly. She was right, of course. His wording hadn’t been the most appropriate given the situation.

“You sure can raise a woman’s fury, son,” a man said from behind him.

Stunned, Cole spun to face his father. There was a mocking expression on his deeply tanned, wrinkled face, and his green eyes sparkled. Looking at Richard that night was almost like viewing him for the first time. The man had aged a lot over the past six months. Richard was the same height as Tori, but he looked smaller as his shoulders began to stoop. His blond hair was much whiter; his already large nose had become bulbous. What startled Cole the most was the nervous expression that lay hidden behind the smile on his father’s lips.

Could this man have committed a murder? Cole wondered. When he spoke, however, he kept cheer in his voice. He didn’t want Richard to suspect how much it hurt to have Tori walk away. And it did hurt, even though he knew she would be available later.

“I like to keep them guessing,” Cole replied with a fraudulent grin. “Why don’t you check in, and we’ll talk in your room.”

“Don’t you want to make amends with your friend?” Richard asked.

Cole couldn’t restrain the bitterness that crept into his tone. “If you heard what we said, you know that she’s waiting for me. Besides, what I have to discuss with you is much more important.”

While Cole waited impatiently at his father’s side, Richard checked into a room. Following his father to the elevators, he stared at Tori through the corridor windows until he could no longer see her. When had they met, anyway? he absently wondered. It was just two nights ago, but it already seemed like years. Hell, the afternoon seemed like years. It was amazing how quickly one could become attached to another when something tragic happened.

 ***

        Tori stared at the ocean, watching the waves roll in. She didn’t mind that she was getting wet again. In fact, the cool ocean water refreshed her.

It had been unexpectedly devastating to leave Cole alone. He needed her support right now, but she couldn’t give it to him. She’d already embarrassed herself by misinterpreting his words. He’d just wanted to protect her by having her stay in his beach house, and she knew he wouldn’t ask for more. Why didn’t she just agree and save everybody a lot of hassle? Because she was afraid she would lose what was left of her heart to a man she barely knew, that’s why.

But she didn’t feel like she barely knew him. She felt like years had passed since they met. Decades seemed to separate the minutes when they had torn down the wall to expose the tomb.

A new question had arisen, too. Should she tell him about the letter she’d found in the hidden compartment of the antique Queen Anne secretary? She hadn’t wanted to be alone with that skeleton while he went for food, so she’d gone into the mansion to explore. In the library, she’d found the secretary, the hidden compartment in the center finial, and the stack of letters.

It was only the top one she considered telling him about—the last one from Carl. It was the one telling Lucinda that they couldn’t run away together after all. It was the same one explaining that he couldn’t break Claire’s heart.

She’d put the letters back the second she saw Cole driving up the lane. That was awfully incriminating evidence. At the time, she’d thought that the skeleton in the wall could have been Claire. After all, she’d also left the plantation the summer Cole’s parents had divorced. Lucinda and Carl could have conspired to dispose of Claire.

Now everything had changed. Instead of being worried that the skeleton was Claire, she was concerned that Lucinda had murdered Carl in a jealous rage. Tori didn’t know what to do anymore.

***

From the eighth floor, Cole gazed down at Tori as he and his father chatted. He wanted to be with her, not confronting his father about a pile of bones. That’s why he was avoiding the topic.

“Is she still down there?” Richard asked as he joined his son at the window.

“Yeah,” Cole replied. “She won’t go anywhere, either, because I’ve got the car. Was your flight okay?”

“Fine.”

“What about Grace?” Cole asked to be polite.

“Your stepmother’s fine, too. Is that woman somebody you want me to meet? Is that why you called me to come here?”

“I want you to meet Tori, all right,” Cole admitted, wandering away from the window. In the middle of the room, he stopped and folded his arms across his broad chest. “But she’s not the reason I told you to come. She’s the woman restoring the mansion, Dad, and you’ll never guess what she found in the apartment today.”

Richard shifted nervously from one foot to the other and stared out the window. “What?”

“A skeleton boarded up in the alcove.” After a gasp, Richard stared intently at his hands, as though he could find a response there. Suspicious of the reaction, Cole narrowed his eyes. Richard knew something; he was sure of it. “I don’t suppose you have any information concerning that.”

“Absolutely none.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Cole demanded. “Was that man—and it is a man’s skeleton because Jack checked it for me. Was he Carl Lucas?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Coleman.”

“The hell you don’t. Did you kill Uncle Carl?” Furious that Richard didn’t respond, Cole grabbed him by the shirt and glared down at him. “Answer me, damn it. Did you kill him?”

“I’ve never killed anybody in my life,” Richard said. “I know you’re upset, but I didn’t kill anybody. I swear it.”

Cole released his father slowly, studying him as he stepped backward three strides. Judging from the guiltless expression on his face, Richard was telling the truth. Now what did he do? Suspect his mother? No, she was too sweet, too innocent, too gentle to commit murder. Besides, she loved Carl. So did Claire. That came back to only one person who could have committed the crime—Richard Marshall. Unless, of course, the body wasn’t Carl’s as he suspected.

“You did it, Dad,” Cole declared. “I don’t know who else could have. If you’ll admit it, maybe I can help you get out of this mess.”

“I’m not in a mess, son. I don’t know anything about a skeleton.”

“I get my temper from you, Dad. So I know what can happen when you’re mad. You could easily have gone into a blind rage when you found out Mom and Carl wanted to run off together. You could have killed him. Hell, you could have killed both of them. And Aunt Claire, too—to keep her quiet. That’s probably why we haven’t heard from them in all this time.”

Cole moved to the door and opened it. He couldn’t bear to stay with his father for another moment. In his heart, he didn’t believe any of them were dead—except maybe Carl, which Jack could determine. He probably shouldn’t have accused his father, either. But he was so frustrated that he didn’t know what to think or do anymore.

 ***

        Stunned that Coleman believed him to be such an evil person, Richard said nothing as his son slammed the door. How could his own son think so badly of him? He needed to make another phone call. If he didn’t, Coleman was going to bring the whole world crashing down on their shoulders. But nobody answered. Something happening that he really didn’t want to know about. Too many coincidences were stacking up, and he had to find out what was going on. It was the only way he could stop the disaster about to strike his family.

New Chapter 2

This is the first part of the new Chapter 2 of Shadows of the Past.

Chapter 2

Tori closed the door in a daze. At dinner she’d been glad that they would be alone the next afternoon. Now she was a bit intimidated by the prospect. At dinner he’d been charming, witty, and interesting. Somewhere between the dining room and her door, though, he’d turned almost threatening. And that look in his eyes!

Another shudder coursed through her. Both his expression and his tone of voice had come across as sinister, although his words hadn’t been particularly ominous. She needed to warn him that she wouldn’t work for him if he didn’t stop making veiled suggestions like that.

Suddenly, fury replaced fear. Grabbing her cell phone from her purse, she looked up Cole’s phone number and almost pressed the CALL button. He probably wasn’t even off the elevator yet. She should wait a while before she warned him that she would break her contract if he cease that kind of talk.

But did she really want to? She loved the thought of turning the mansion into a home instead of a showplace. Besides, if she broke the contract, she would have to find another job within the next four months so she could pay her rent. That meant she had to see Cole again—and be alone with a man she wasn’t sure she could trust.

Tori put the phone on the night stand and lay back on the bed. Maybe a good night’s sleep would help her decide what to do.

***

Cole dropped into his recliner and stared out the picture window before him. He loved having a beach house. Being able to see the ocean always helped him think, which was exactly what he needed to do right now.

He had no idea why he was so concerned about Tori’s safety, but he was. Something deep in his gut had prompted him to say what he had at her door, and he’d seen by her expression that his irrational proclamation had frightened her. Irritated with himself, he slammed his fist on the table beside him so hard that he knocked the phone off the hook. Picking up the handset, he gazed at it thoughtfully.

A gentleman would call and apologize. He had no valid reason for warning her to be careful, and certainly no reason to announce that their lives were entangled. It was no wonder a look of fear had sprung to her eyes. That was also why he’d gotten away from her as fast as he could. He really should call her, and he would—right after he talked to his father.

After pushing eleven buttons on the portable phone, Cole wandered to the kitchen and got a can of Coke from his refrigerator. He popped the top then took a long drink before Richard Marshall answered.

“Hi, Dad,” Cole greeted cheerfully. “How’s it going?”

“Fine,” Richard answered. “How are you?”

“Just great! I wanted you to know that I made a decision about Coleman Estates. I’m going to have it restored to its original state so I can live there and make a go of the plantation. I thought Grandpa would like that.”

“You’re going to what?” Richard asked frantically. “I thought you were going to wait a year. It’s only been three months. I really don’t think this is a good idea. What made you change your mind?”

Cole stiffened when he heard the panic in his father’s voice. Why in the world would his father care so much about what he did with his inheritance? Was there something he should know about the mansion that he didn’t? Was that why he had such an unshakable feeling of doom concerning the project?

But all his questions could to go unanswered for now. He was more concerned about getting the information Tori wanted, so he continued as though he hadn’t noticed his father’s unwarranted reaction.

“I already signed a contract to have the mansion restored, Dad,” he explained calmly to avoid an argument, “hopefully, to its original floor plan. I know Grandpa did some remodeling when you and Mom got married. That was the apartment where Aunt Claire and Uncle Carl lived after Grandpa retired, right? But I can’t find any blueprints. You wouldn’t know where they are, would you? Tori needs them for the project.”

“Tori?”

“That’s the architect I hired. She’s only twenty-eight, but she’s very competent.”

“Is that what her references told you?”

Cole grimaced at the thought. Tori had sent him references, of course, but he hadn’t taken the time to contact them. If he had, he would have found out that she was a woman and not hired her. Then she wouldn’t be in danger.

He gasped at the thought. Where in the world had that notion come from? He had no reason to believe the job could be dangerous. In fact, the very idea was ludicrous.

On the other end of the phone, Richard questioned him nervously. “What is it, Coleman?”

“When are you going to stop calling me that?” Cole asked to avoid his thoughts. “You know how I hate it.”

“It’s your name, son. If we’d wanted to call you Cole like you prefer, we would have named you that. Now what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Do you know where the blueprints are?”

“Not if Vance didn’t have them in his things. Wait a sec. What about a safety deposit box? Surely, Vance had one. Did you check it out?”

“I flew all the way to Mesa,” Cole said, grimacing at the memory of his desperate search. “No blueprints.”

“Then I don’t know what else to suggest. Now about your decision. You’re making a big mistake. Just leave the mansion alone.”

“You can’t be serious!” Cole exclaimed. “Grandpa wanted me to do something with it. Besides, what else can I do with the two million dollars? There’s a stipulation that it only goes to one of three things.”

“I know that, but to restore the house? It’s going to cost at least that much, don’t you think?”

“Not necessarily. Most of the furniture is still there, remember?”

“Then you’re going to open the place to the public?” Richard asked.

Cole narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Richard sounded too concerned that he might do just such a thing, but he couldn’t understand why, especially since it was in his grandfather’s will.

“I haven’t decided for sure, Dad,” Cole admitted, carefully selecting his words. “I want Tori to look at it first. We haven’t come to an agreement on the exact cost, only her hourly wages, because she wanted to see the place in person. She didn’t want to rely on pictures for estimates.”

“Then it’s still possible that you won’t restore it?” Richard asked, this time in a voice filled with hope.

Cole considered his father’s words. Why was he so opposed to restoration? Richard hadn’t had any interest in the mansion for the past twenty-one years. Now he seemed intent to make sure that it wasn’t disturbed. Something was going on, and Cole instinctively knew he had to be very careful finding out what.

“It’s possible, Dad,” Cole admitted, “but it isn’t very likely. There’s only one way Tori won’t work on the project, and that’s if she breaks the contract.”

Richard’s merry chuckle rang in Cole’s ear. “It sounds to me like you’re more interested in the architect than the architecture.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Cole paused a moment. Hopefully, the anxiety in his soul wouldn’t transfer to his voice and alert his father to his unsubstantiated concerns. “I’d better go. I need to call Tori and let her know that we still don’t have blueprints. Bye.”

As Richard said good-bye, Cole hung up the phone. How had his father realized that he was interested in Tori? Their conversation certainly hadn’t indicated it. His father was right, though. He did have a physical attraction toward her.

As much as he’d dated over the years, he hadn’t truly gotten involved. He didn’t want any woman to get as close to his heart as his mother had been and be as devastated as he had been as a twenty-one years ago. Now that Tori had come into his life, though, he didn’t think he would mind taking a risk. Maybe it was because she didn’t seem to care about him; maybe conquering the unconquerable was all he wanted. Whatever the reason, he already found Tori intriguing.

Another good thing was her height. Since he was six-foot-four, they would dance well together. And he wouldn’t break his back kissing her! If she would agree to dating a client. Before he could even consider that, though, he needed to mend a fence.

Picking up his phone book, he looked up the Tides number and wrote it on the front cover. Then he dialed and asked the operator for room 842. Tori picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?” she asked, her curiosity evident in her voice.

“Hi,” he replied cheerfully. “Do you miss me yet?”

***

Tori inhaled sharply. Since she didn’t recognize that voice, she knew exactly what kind of call this was. Only obscene, sick men abused the phone lines, and she never bothered being nice to them. “Look, buster, I don’t take calls like this.” And she slammed the handset onto the phone.

A few seconds later the phone rang again. She glared at it for three rings, determined not to answer it. But what if it wasn’t the same person? What if it was her mother instead?

This time when she picked up the man spoke before she had a chance. “It’s Cole, Tori.”

“Oh!” Tori blushed at the thought of her mistake. Now that he’d said his name, she recognized his voice. But she still didn’t want to talk to him, not after what he’d said just before he’d left her that night. She didn’t think she could be civil for longer than a few minutes.

“It was nice of you to call,” she said as casually as she could, “but I’m exhausted. Why don’t you call back tomorrow? Good night.”

Again she hung up on him loudly, only this time it hadn’t been intentional and she felt a tinge of guilt at having been so abrupt. Not enough guilt, though, to call him back and explain what had happened. She still didn’t think she could stay calm for very long.

As she stalked into the bathroom to get ready for bed, another thought crossed her mind. What if he came by to talk? He had called her twice within minutes, so he must be pretty desperate. Well, she just wouldn’t answer the door. She didn’t care how many people he woke up by banging on it.

***

Richard waited five minutes before he opened his desk and took a piece of paper from the bottom of the top drawer. For several moments, he stared at the four numbers. Three of them had been crossed out, but the last one was probably still good. It had been years since he’d talked to her, but she had to know what was happening. He had to warn her. Picking up the phone, he dialed the bottom number on the paper and waited impatiently until a woman answered.

“It’s Richard Marshall,” he said flatly. “I didn’t want to call, but I didn’t have a choice.”

“What is it?” the woman asked.

“It’s all over. You probably already know that Vance died, but do you know that Coleman inherited the plantation, plus two million dollars?”

“No!” she exclaimed. “That inheritance should be mine!”

“I’m not the one who got you into this fix,” he snapped. “You brought it on yourself. I only kept quiet to save your neck.”

“But you’re the one who caused it, Richard. That plantation would be mine right now if it hadn’t been for you and the ultimatum you gave me.”

“None of that matters anymore. I just called to tell you that Coleman’s going to restore the house to the original floor plan.”

“Well, stop him!” she shrieked. “He’ll listen to you.”

“Don’t you think that I already tried to stop him? For God’s sake, woman, get it through you head. He’s not listening this time. I’ve got to go. I just thought you should know. I’ll keep you posted on what’s happening out there.”

“You’d better, Richard. You’d sure as hell better.”

***

The dirt road was long and relatively straight. For the first couple hundred yards, it was like someone had cut through a forest. Around the only curve, huge live oak trees loomed forebodingly ahead her, their branches spread so wide that they made a canopy over the road. Spanish moss dripped from the branches, adding to the eeriness of the walk.

       It was dark—too dark for her liking. But she continued her trek toward the large plantation house ahead of her. A mysterious, masculine voice whispered evilly through the trees. “Our lives are entangled. You cannot turn back.”

       “Yes, I can!” she shouted to the voice. “And you can’t stop me!”

       When she tried to turn around, however, her long, purposeful strides continued in the direction of the mansion. The whispering man laughed menacingly. He must have known all along that she couldn’t leave, that she was destined to take this walk alone.

       Lengthening her strides, she increased her speed. The fear that engulfed her was almost more than she could bear. She had to get to the safety of the mansion. She tried to run. Nothing happened. Then the mansion seemed to move away from her.

       “No!” she cried out.

       Again the unseen man laughed ominously. “Our lives are entangled. You cannot turn back.”

       She tried running again. This time a shadow sped across her path. It was the man! He was running toward the shelter of the trees on the opposite side of the road. She had to follow him. She had to know what he wanted, what he meant by his words—why he was tormenting her!

       The man stopped beside the largest live oak and turned toward her. A light flashed, and she saw that he had no face. Yet he still laughed at her, taunting her maliciously with his gibes about her not being able to turn back.

       She tried to run away, but her feet were anchored to the ground. The faceless, bedeviling man moved again—toward her! Slowly, sinisterly, he inched his way closer. Her fear exploded into terror.

       Her scream pierced the night.

Tori jolted upright in bed, panting. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer. Her dark surroundings were unfamiliar, fear-invoking. Wherever she was, she had to get out of there.

Tossing back the covers, she scrambled out of bed and was halfway across the room before her memory returned. That’s right. She was in a room of the Folly Island Tides hotel. Now she could hear the surf over the sound of blood rushing through her head. Immediately, her heart began to slow; her breathing became less labored. After several minutes, she was back to normal.

More relaxed, Tori wandered to the balcony door, unlocked it, and went outside. At the railing, she inhaled deeply, drawing the muggy salt air as far into her lungs as possible. She exhaled and repeated the act. Then she stared out at the ocean.

Why had she gone to Boone Plantation that afternoon? The road to the house had given her nightmares—and so had Cole’s parting words to her that night. Why had he told her that their lives were entangled? His words had sounded ominous then, but now they just irritated her. If he’d kept his mouth shut, she wouldn’t have been so frightened, and then she wouldn’t have had a bad dream.

Slightly calmed, she returned to bed and tried to go back to sleep. But slumber eluded her for several hours.

A knock at the door startled Tori awake, and she glanced at the bedside clock—five to ten. She’d slept half the morning away. Tossing back the covers, she wrapped her robe around her as she hurried to the door.

“Who is it?” she asked as she looked through the peephole.

“Housekeeping,” a woman replied.

Although startled that the woman had knocked when she had a Do Not Disturb sign tucked into the key card lock, Tori opened the door. The uniformed woman standing outside smiled and picked up a crystal vase containing a dozen white roses that was on the floor beside her.

“Are those for me?” Tori asked in shock.

“Are you Ms. V. J. Young?” the maid replied.

“Yes.”

“Then they’re for you.”

Accepting the gift, Tori spoke excitedly. “Just a minute and I’ll give you a tip.”

“Thanks, but I already got one. Have a nice day, Ms. Young.”

“Thank you,” Tori said absently as she closed the door. Setting the flowers on the dresser, she took off the card taped to the vase and opened it. Please accept my peace offering. Listen to KCSC at ten. I have a message for you. Cole. After his name, he’d written the dial number of the radio station.

If she had any serious shortcomings, it was her uncontrollable curiosity, and Cole had just aroused that. Turning on the radio, Tori moved the dial until she found the right station. A moment later she heard a voice that sounded familiar.

“This is Cole Marshall of Charleston Talks. My guest this hour is local historian Frank Fielding. Before we talk to him, though, I have a message for a friend I couldn’t contact on the phone last night. I just want that friend to know that I’m sorry, and that the meeting time is one o’clock.

“Now, Mr. Fielding. If you don’t mind, I may have to ask you to repeat occasionally. My ear is still ringing from an accident I had last night.”

Shaking her head, Tori smiled and turned off the radio. Cole had had more than a message for her. He’d also wanted to tease her. Granted, she was still irritated about the nightmare, but she was also beginning to melt under his humor and kindness. He didn’t have to send roses—or make a public apology for a private incident. Despite what he’d said and the way he’d worded it, he was still a gentleman. And she would give him another chance.

Shortly before one, Tori hurried to answer the knock on her door. Outside, Cole had a large white balloon before his face. On it he’d written, I’m sorry. When he pulled it down, he was grinning like a little boy again. It was a wonder he didn’t have a white flag of truce, as well.

Unable to resist, she laughed, exclaiming, “You’re crazy!”

“I’d rather be crazy than have you mad at me,” he returned.

“How could I possibly be mad at somebody who sends me flowers and makes a public apology?” she asked, turning serious. “But you didn’t really have to pick on me on the air.”

“If you’d thought I was totally serious, you might have stayed mad at me.” He tossed the balloon up and tapped it over her head into the room. “I see you have your purse. Let’s get out of here.”

He escorted her to a red Nissan SUV and opened the passenger door for her. She ran her hand over the cool, tan leather seats as he rounded the vehicle and got in behind the wheel.

“Nice ride,” she said.

“Thanks. It’s a Nissan Rogue, one of those hybrids. I’m always conscious of fuel economy.”

Cole studied Tori overtly. Now she regretted wearing skin-tight blue jeans and a blue knit shirt that showed her figure, because the look in his eyes told her exactly what he was thinking.

After clearing his throat, he said, “I’m glad to see you’re wearing jeans.”

For a moment, his seductive tone annoyed her, but he didn’t say another word about her attire. Maybe his words hadn’t come out the way he’d planned, and as long as he kept their relationship businesslike, she kind of liked his interested glances. Determined to give him another chance, she responded as though she hadn’t noticed. “I thought the house might be dirty since it’s been empty so long.”

“You were right, too. I swear the dust is a foot thick.” He paused momentarily as he pulled out of the parking space. “I cleaned a little when you said you’d be living there, but just in the apartment.”

“That’s okay. I can do it when I move in the day after tomorrow. If you don’t mind me moving in then, that is.”

“Whenever you prefer. Did you bring a measuring tape.”

Tori patted her large handbag on the floor by her feet. “I have everything I need in here.”

New Chapter 2

This is the second part of my next installment.

 ***

        Their drive to the plantation not far from Adams Run, South Carolina, was lighthearted and relaxed. When they turned off the road into a wooded area, however, Tori’s dream flashed to the front of her mind. Immediately, she tensed. Her throat constricted with fear. She didn’t like this. It was too close to what she’d already seen. They rounded a curve, and the dream became even more vivid. Large live oak trees, their wide branches dripping with Spanish moss, loomed ominously ahead. All of a sudden, she panicked.

“Stop the car!” she ordered.

Cole slammed the brakes on so hard that he and Tori nearly hit the windshield despite their fastened seat belts. The moment the Rogue ground to a stop, Tori unhooked her belt, threw open the door, and raced back down the road.

Stunned, he sat immobile behind the steering wheel and watched her run away in his rearview mirror. What in the world had caused her terror? How would he ever bypass it to get her to continue with the project?

In only seconds, he recovered from his shock. He scrambled out of the car and sprinted after her. “Tori! Tori, come back!”

But she kept running as if she didn’t hear. Lengthening his strides, he closed the gap between them. Seconds later he caught her and grabbed her upper arm firmly. She screamed in fear. But he spun her into his arms and held her close.

Cole’s touch brought back the memory of the faceless man in her dream, and Tori struggled against him, desperately trying to free herself. She had to prove that she could turn back, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, he held her tightly.

Despite her mental warning that she was risking her emotional stability, she felt safe in his strong arms. And his soothing words helped relieve her panic as no other man had ever done. Then again, she’d never been that terrified before, so it was possible that any man would send these sensations of security through her.

“It’s okay, Tori,” he said softly.

“No, it’s not.” Although reluctant to stay where she was, she couldn’t break away. The sound of his soothing, masculine voice caused tears to erupt in her eyes as she clung to him. “You don’t understand.”

“Yes, I do. I know the driveway can be spooky.” Tightening his embrace, he rubbed her shoulder tenderly. “I had a very vivid imagination when I was a child. Sometimes I would imagine that the branches of these live oaks were arms reaching out for me.”

Tori sighed at length. It felt good in his strong embrace, comforting and reassuring. His steady heartbeat and even breathing helped allay her fears almost as much as his gentle caress and understanding words. If only she hadn’t accepted this job. If only Paul hadn’t left her at the altar!

This attraction to Cole was dangerous to her sanity. She wanted to keep their relationship professional, but it was already becoming harder every minute she was with him. And she really didn’t want an attachment. Paul had wooed her with flowers and charm. Then he’d asked her to marry him. When she’d agreed, it had been one of the happiest periods of her life—until all the wedding plans had come crashing down on top of her three weeks before the date they’d chosen. He’d come to her one night and told her he was sorry but he couldn’t do it. Then he’d walked out the door—just like her father had walked out on her mother. She’d tried to tell herself it was better this way, but it had taken several months to convince herself.

She was over that now, though—at least she’d thought she was. Now that Cole had walked into her life, it all came flooding back. Losing a man she loved twice in her life was enough. She had to be extra careful to protect herself from Cole’s charm so she didn’t hurt like that again, she reminded herself sternly. This moment of pleasure was wrong, because she couldn’t, she wouldn’t, get involved.

Pushing against his muscular chest with her forearms, she tried to free herself again, but his hold was too secure.

“Let go of me,” she demanded.

“Not until I’m sure you’re all right.”

“I’m fine. Now let go,” she repeated, enunciating each word.

Slackening his grasp, he gazed down at her. Tori had never seen so much concern in a man’s eyes before, and it confused her. Cole hardly knew her, yet the brightness that normally lit up his green eyes had clouded over in worry.

After drawing in a deep breath, he questioned her anxiously. “You won’t run away from me, will you?”

So that was it, she thought as a half-smile came to her lips. He was afraid that she was fleeing from him. Was it because of her overreaction the night before?

“Tori?” His deep voice dragged her from her thoughts. “You won’t, will you?”

“No.” When he released her, she gazed up at him. “I wasn’t running from you. I went to Boone Plantation yesterday, and the entrance road was amazingly similar to this. Then last night I dreamed that I was walking down a lane just like this one and the trees were whispering to me. They said, Our lives are entangled. You cannot turn back.”

“Oh, my God,” he groaned as he combed his fingers through his hair. “Tori, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that would give you nightmares.”

Now that she’d started recounting her dream, she needed to finish it. “And the trees kept laughing at me because I tried to run away but couldn’t. Then I saw a man without a face. Actually, it was the shadow of a man. He was laughing at me. Then he started toward me. I screamed, and that’s when I woke up.”

“I was that man, wasn’t I? That’s why you were running away from me.”

“I really wasn’t running away from you, Mr. Marshall. I was just running away. I had this deep-seeded need to prove that I could turn back.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“But I didn’t. Don’t you see that?” Unable to control her actions, she grabbed his hand in both of hers. “You stopped me. You were right, and so was the man in my dream. I can’t turn back. It’s just not possible. Something’s pulling me forward, dragging me to the mansion. I have to restore that house, Mr. Marshall, even if I have to do it free of charge.”

As his gaze met hers, his boyish, crooked grin returned to his lips. “Don’t worry, Tori. I have every intention of paying you. But there’s one thing that I have to insist on. Make that two things. No more banging phones in my ear.”

Blushing deeply at her folly the previous night, Tori smiled. “Sorry about that, but I was mad at you.”

“I noticed. The other thing is no more calling me Mr. Marshall. I’m old enough to be your big brother—not your father. You have to call me Cole.”

“If there’s nothing else, let’s go check out the mansion so I can give you a quote. That’s the last detail on the contract.”

Cole drove toward the mansion slowly this time. In only moments, the house loomed before them. Its driveway ended in a cul-de-sac before a porch that was nearly a third the length of the building. In the middle was a portico with four Grecian columns; above the portico was a room with a window.

While Cole parked the Rogue, Tori opened her door and got out as she admired the building. Many of the bricks were in obvious need of repair. The white trim and porch were in dire need of scraping and a fresh coat of paint. The classic multi-paned windows had some broken glass that needed replacing, but for the most part, they were intact. Two stories above, there was a bell tower at each end of the long mansion.

“Wow!” she breathed as Cole strode up beside her and shut her door.

“Pretty magnificent, isn’t it,” he observed, taking her hand in his. “I’ll show you around tell you all about this place’s history while we take measurements. Be careful on the porch, though. Some of the boards are rotted through.”

Cole opened both of the massive oak double doors to give her the best view of the main hallway. Directly ahead was another pair of double doors, apparently identical to the ones she’d just stepped through. The hallway was about ten feet wide and over twice as long. On each side were two arched doorways. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell what shape the oak floors were in, because the hall was cluttered with long-unused furniture.

Wandering slowly forward, she examined a low-back Windsor settee that was approximately six feet long. A couple of the back spindles were broken, but otherwise, it was in good repair—except for the sanding and staining it needed. She looked underneath it. All eight legs were intact. Apparently, not one had been replaced. Even the bobbin-turned stretchers attached to the legs were well preserved.

Standing up, she gazed at Cole in disbelief. “This is an antique, isn’t it? Made somewhere between 1730 and 1760, right?”

He stared down at her, his amazement vividly showing in his expression. “You know antiques, too?”

“I have to. I couldn’t go around the country restoring old buildings without a good background in the area. Are there many other antiques in the house?”

“Everything that Dad left is an antique—except in the apartment where you’ll be staying. That’s all pretty modern stuff, because my aunt and uncle used to live there. Are you ready for the grand tour?”

“I’ll never be more ready. Lead the way.”

The kitchen had been enlarged early during the Civil War and a servant’s hall added. A buttery, which was presently a laundry, and a servant’s stairway to the second floor were also added at that time. A billiard room addition made up the L at one end of the house. The Coleman clan had been Union sympathizers and had built a lookout tower above the kitchen and servants’ hall when it looked like civil war was about to break out.

There were also a breakfast room, storage room, and butler’s pantry toward that end of the house. Another set of stairs led to the second floor. The middle of the first floor contained a dining room and a music room. Across the main hall were more stairs, elaborately decorated with acorn and leaf filigree on the risers. In addition, there were a formal parlor, and a library. What Cole called the extended parlor, adjacent to the formal parlor, had once been a bed chamber.

Then they came to another set of stairs leading to the second floor. Mounting them, Cole explained that the upstairs was the original floor plan but that he had ideas if making it into a bed-and-breakfast was feasible.

“You can’t do that!” she exclaimed, grabbing his wrist tightly. Now that she’d seen the house, she couldn’t let him take that route with his grandfather’s money. “All of this wonderful antique furniture could be ruined by customers, Cole. You would have to store all the furniture you have and replace everything with simulated furniture if you want a period motif. That would be far too costly.”

“I suppose you’re right.” He grinned at her. “Good thing I hired you, isn’t it. I’d probably be spending a bundle otherwise.”

“You’re still going to be spending a bundle, Cole,” she admitted with a slow shake of her head. “I can already see a lot of repairs to make, and that’s just a surface perusal. Let’s finish measuring the main house then go check out the apartment.”

The mansion was much bigger than the others she’d worked on since she was in graduate school. It had a total of nine bedrooms, four bathrooms, four staircases, and sixteen fireplaces. There was only one stipulation that Cole asked her to keep in mind. Since all of the bathrooms were upstairs, he wanted to convert the storage area off the breakfast room into a half-bath. Everything else, he insisted, was completely up to her discretion.

Tori halted as they entered her apartment. The ceilings were at least twenty-feet high, with large fans hanging from the ceiling in each of the five rooms. The furniture was old and needed re-covering, but at least the bed had a new mattress.

“What was this apartment originally used for?” she asked.

“My ancestors put this up during the Civil War, too. It used to be a rectory.” He pointed to the far corner of the living room. “That door over there isn’t a closet. It’s stairs leading to the real bell tower.”

Determined to get the fullest exploration of the house that she could before they left, she said, “I should check out the roof. Come on.”

As they crossed the room, he stopped short and grabbed her elbow. “Wait a minute. Something’s weird about this room.”

“What?” she asked as she glanced around.

“I’m not sure. I don’t remember it looking like this the last time I was here, but that was twenty years ago. My memory is probably faulty.”

“Probably. Come on now. Let’s go up on the roof,” she suggested, eager to see more. “You can figure it out later.”

Once he’d opened the trap door, Cole glanced around the roof to make sure it was safe to walk on. Deciding that it was, he climbed the last few steps and helped Tori from the stairs. “Be careful up here. I haven’t checked it out yet.”

The octagonal bell tower sat near the front of the house. A third of the roof was surrounded by a three-foot high railing, four feet back from the front of the building. It was set two feet back on the side and flush against the back. There it blocked access to the L where the apartment kitchen and dining room were located.

Curious, Tori strode to the railing at the front of the house and swung one leg over it. Instantly, Cole’s arms wrapped around her waist, and he lifted her back.

“Damn it, Tori,” he said angrily. “I told you to be careful.”

Tori pried his arms from around her. “I was being careful. You’re just a nervous Nelly.”

“I’m nervous all right,” he admitted, “but it sure as hell isn’t because you’re a woman. Now stay on this side of the railing.”

Realizing the truth, she laughed. “Why, Cole Marshall. You’re afraid of heights. That’s why you haven’t already checked the roof.”

He blushed. “So what if I am? Just stay on this side.”

“All right, all right. I wouldn’t want to make you nervous.”

Carefully taking each step, she went to the corner of the railings. Once there, she turned around and paced off to the opposite corner. It was approximately sixty-five feet long. That was odd. According to their measurements, the apartment below was a little short of fifty-seven feet long.

“I was hoping that eight feet would show up,” she mumbled.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“The measurements you sent me in one of your letters showed a discrepancy of about eight feet. I didn’t give the discrepancy much credence because sometimes it can be hard to measure large buildings alone. That’s one reason I wanted us to do this together today. But in my business, you need a good memory for numbers and measurements. The ones we came up with today and the ones you sent me are still off by seven feet. As far as I’m concerned, we didn’t find an inch.”

“Do you have any idea why it would be so far off?”

“Not a clue.”

Without thinking, she leaned over the far edge of the roof and gazed down at the ground. Again Cole lifted her back.

“Stop doing that,” she said irritably. “I can’t work.”

He glared down at her. “You said you’d stay on this side.”

“Geez, you’re jumpy.” Tori complained as she turned her gaze back to the edge of the roof. “Even taking the two-foot walls into consideration, this railing is quite a bit longer than the apartment. Are you sure you didn’t forget about some hidden passage or something? Old houses like these have them at times.”

“Wait a minute!” he exclaimed. “There used to be an alcove in the apartment. I remember playing in it. I’ll bet that’s the discrepancy.”

“How big was this alcove?” she asked as he steered her to the trap door.

“I don’t know for sure. Let’s go back downstairs and see if I can figure it out.”

“You just want to get off the roof,” she taunted as they started back down the bell tower steps.

“You’re damned right I do. We don’t know how safe it is yet.” When they were back downstairs, Cole studied the end wall as he said, “I was kind of a shrimp until about tenth grade. That’s when I had my growing spurt. Five feet seemed big to me when I was ten.”

“I’d guess that it’s closer to seven feet.” Tori tapped on the wall with her knuckles. Keeping her ear close to the wood, she continued from one corner to the other then turned back toward him. “It doesn’t sound like it’s a supportive wall. We can break it down.”

“Why? I want to leave the apartment alone in case I have a caretaker someday—or a live-in maid. Whatever, I sure don’t want it to be a rectory, not that I have anything against religion. I just don’t have a need for a chapel if I’m just going to be living here.”

Tori stared at him in stunned disbelief. “Aren’t you even curious as to why the alcove was closed off?”

“Not really. It was, and that’s that.”

“But, Cole,” she started to protest.

“I mean it, Tori,” he insisted as he took her hand and led her out of the building. “Leave it alone. Besides, we should get out of here. You’re not even officially on duty until after we fill in your prospective charges at dinner tonight.”

“Come on, Cole. I want to see what’s wrong with that alcove. It might be important.”

“You’re just being nosy, and you know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat.” He gazed at her irritably. “And I won’t let you become a cat.”

Tori stared at him in shock. This was the second time he’d given her an ominous warning. Was it possible that he knew something about the alcove? Was it possible that he was involved in something sinister?