Runaway Mistress (37 page)

“The less you know, the less you have to worry about.”

They got out of the car at L’Espérance Grand Case Airport, leaving Lou, Jesse and Frank to worry about their luggage. This wasn’t the international airport, but a regional airport—for inter-island travel. The international airport was on the Dutch side of the island. So, either they weren’t going far, or he had another transfer or change of destination on his mind. Who knew where she might end up?

He grabbed her hand to pull her into the airport. “Nick, don’t,” she said, resisting. “I’m not going. This doesn’t have anything to do with me.”

“Don’t fool around with me—I’m in no mood.”

“I’m no threat to you. I don’t know anything.”

“You’re coming with me, and if you argue, I’m gonna—”

“Yeah, you’re going to terrorize little old ladies and teenage girls. We’re going to have to take our chances. I can’t let you hide me on some isolated little island—one you might never leave!”

“You’re coming with—”

“Nick!”
They both turned to see Alex coming rapidly toward them. “Let her go! She doesn’t want to go with you!”

“Alex,” she cried, reaching toward him with her free hand. But Nick wouldn’t let go. He was pulling her into the small building.

“Lou!” Nick called. “Frank!”

The big men left the luggage sitting on the curb and ran to their boss, arriving at about the same time Alex did. There were suddenly four men surrounding Jennifer.

Jennifer’s wrists were in a lock—Lou had one and Nick the other. Alex took a swing at one of them, but he was grabbed in a bear hug. Paula was watching this from just a few feet away, because she had convinced Alex that she should carry the Taser, that she was the more stable of the two of them. She was going to use it on someone, she was just trying to decide who. If one of the big guys went down, she could help Alex wrestle Jennifer away from the remaining two men. They were past caring if Nick got away—let him be the FBI’s problem.

Jennifer screamed; a couple of island police officers from inside the airport came jogging toward them. Paula’s moment of opportunity was passing. She fixed the red dot from the Taser on Lou’s back and pulled the trigger. The darts attached to wires shot out of the Taser, but Lou moved just as Frank flipped Alex around. The Taser got Alex right in the butt. He went stiff and fell, the jolt rendering him completely useless. In the five seconds the electric shock lasted, Nick, Lou and Frank dragged Jennifer into the terminal.

Alex rolled over with a groan. “Oh, jeez, Alex,” Paula said, trying to get the darts disengaged. Before she could complete that process, they were hoisted to their feet by a couple of island cops.

“Don’t let them get her on the plane,” he said weakly.

Alex and Paula had their hands pulled behind their backs like common criminals, and the Taser darts were pulled none too gently from his behind and confiscated. “They’re not going anywhere,” Paula said, looking inside the terminal to see the party of four detained by uniformed guards. Standing off to the side, wearing his signature black pants, thick-soled shoes and thin tie, was Dobbs. “Never thought I’d be happy to see him.”

Alex looked at her. “You shot me in the
butt!
”

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m going to have to practice up on that thing.”

“You shot me in the
butt!
”

They were being roughly pulled toward a police vehicle. “What did I tell you, Alex. You. Me. Screwed.”

The next twenty-four hours were filled with recriminations toward Alex and Paula. There were a lot of unhappy people around. The FBI was not happy with them, even though they had notified their local bureau office that they were going to try to bring Jennifer home. The island police were very unhappy that a weapon—even though it was a nonlethal weapon—had been discharged at the airport. Sergeant Monroe was rather looking forward to chewing their asses in person when they got home.

Although they didn’t have to endure his recriminations, Nick was understandably upset. Dobbs had convinced the local constables to detain him until it could be determined that Barbara’s evidence would indict him of federal crimes punishable in the United States, to which the kidnapping of Barbara and Jennifer could possibly be added. And given his ease with travel, bail was not a possibility. The law enforcement of St. Martin was most cooperative.

It turned out the only person genuinely happy with Alex and Paula was Jennifer, with whom they were reunited the next day.

Of course, Paula may as well have been invisible. They met outside the local courthouse; Jennifer flew into Alex’s arms and met his lips with overwhelming relief and hunger. He held her clear off the ground as he devoured her mouth. Tears ran freely down her cheeks, and his breath was ragged as he fought his own emotional urges. And this went on, and on, and on…

“Okay, yeah, ah, you’re welcome,” Paula said.

Yet they kissed. And kissed. They broke apart only long enough for Jennifer to say tearfully, “You
came
for me!”

“You think I could let you go?”

“You believed in me!”

“I’m in love with you. It wasn’t a temporary thing.”

“I was so afraid I’d never see you again!”

“Okay, guys,” Paula said. “That should do it, huh?”

Yet they kissed again and again.

Paula made a sound of impatience and turned away. “I’m getting a cab,” she yelled. “I’m going to the airport! You can stand there and eat each other alive or come with me!”

They turned reluctantly in her direction, but their eyes were still on each other, their arms around each other’s waist.

Paula hailed a cab and instructed the driver to take them to Princess Juliana International Airport. Then she said to Alex and Jennifer, “Do not sit with me on the plane.”

They both gave her brief, weak smiles and then went right back to kissing in the back of the cab.

“Because that’s why,” Paula said.

The flight was long, but of course the reunited lovers didn’t care. Jennifer’s welcome back to Boulder City was heartwarming—Adolfo and Buzz threw a little last-minute party for her at the diner the first night she was back. Even though they weren’t sure what was to become of Nick Noble until indictments were filed in court in Miami, it appeared that the only role Jennifer might have in his life would be that of witness for the prosecution. And with the way the court moved, that could be years away. But everyone was there to find out who she really was, and what dramatic story had brought her to them.

Someone was missing from the celebration, however.

“Why isn’t Hedda here?” she asked Buzz.

“I thought she was coming. She just hasn’t been herself since you left—but now you’re back, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Do you think maybe she went home to get Joey?”

“Probably,” he said.

But another hour passed with no sign of Hedda. Jennifer could have asked someone to go check on her, but her house was close to the diner. She ducked out and walked quickly in the direction of Hedda’s house. Daylight lasted a long time now and the temperature was barely dropping.

She found the girl sitting in the opened front door, her feet on the steps. She was crying.

“Hedda?”

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she said.

Jennifer went to her. “What’s the matter, kiddo?”

“We had some trouble when you were gone. My mom—she got in an accident.”

“Oh, no!”

“No one was hurt.”

“Oh! Thank God!”

“But she was DUI.” She shrugged. “I guess I always knew that was going to happen someday.”

“Oh, honey,” she said, realizing Hedda had told no one. She wasn’t just out of sorts because Jennifer was gone—she had this huge trauma, and bore the weight of it alone. “Didn’t you tell even Buzz? He would have helped you!”

“It’s no fun always needing help.”

“Oh, kiddo, I’m so sorry. Where is she now?”

“Well, that casino she worked for, they have real good benefits. She’s in treatment. It’s probably going to be a month. Maybe longer.”

“And where’s Joey?”

“They took him,” she said, breaking down. “They’re going to get his grandparents to come for him.” She rested her head on her knees and just let it go.

“I know this hurts like mad right now—but this is going to work out for the best. Especially if your mom somehow gets better.”

“I haven’t even seen her. I talked to her, you know?”

“What did she say you were to do?”

Hedda chewed her lip and raised her watery eyes upward. “She said, ‘Why don’t you just go live with your precious
Doris!
’”

Jennifer smiled a small smile. She put the palm of her hand against Hedda’s damp cheek and said, “I think that can be arranged. That can most definitely be arranged.”

One Year Later

T
here was too much excitement in the air for anyone to sleep in. It was graduation day. Hedda was the first one up to let Jeb, the puppy, outside. The sun was barely rising. Jennifer couldn’t just lie there quietly. Even though she made a few grumbling noises about early risers, she was grateful she could finally get out of bed. In less than five minutes they were dressed and banging on Alex’s door, getting him up for a ride.

“Do you think he’ll be mad?” Hedda asked.

“If he is, he’ll get over it fast. Any day now, we’ll have lambs.”

“What if Jeb barks at them?”

“Then you have to take him around the block. We don’t want a stampede.”

“You won’t bark, will you, buddy? That’s a good boy.”

Alex answered the door fully dressed, newspaper in hand. “I guess no one felt like sleeping in.”

“Not today,” Jennifer said. “Get your bike.”

Within minutes they were off in the direction of the park where the bighorns grazed. They looked every bit the all-American family—but things hadn’t been easy.

A year ago Hedda had moved in with Jennifer. The first hard pill to swallow had been Joey—his grandparents came from Tucson to fetch him from Child Protective Services and took him home without so much as a goodbye to Hedda. It devastated her. But a few letters and phone calls later, a plan for visits was established, and while difficult at first, everyone settled into the routine and enjoyed their time together. Most often, Hedda flew to Tucson, a quick and inexpensive trip, but occasionally Joey’s grandparents brought him to Nevada for a visit. Today marked one of those times—they were coming to Hedda’s high school graduation. Afterward, the seniors would have their all-night party, and on Sunday there would be a big open house at the Garcias’.

Then there was Sylvia—who put in an appearance now and then, sometimes sober, sometimes not. But even if the disappointment lingered, the danger was past—Joey’s grandparents had filed for custody and Hedda, being almost eighteen, was not obligated to stay in the custody of her mother. Learning to cope sanely with the ups and downs of growing up with an alcoholic was growing easier for Hedda with the help of a support group known as Alateen.

And of course there was Alice—who had not waited long before following Louise. Saying goodbye to her took its toll on everyone, but no one grieved as hard as Jennifer. Everyone from Buzz to Rose thought she should get another dog right away, but she insisted she needed time to think about that, and time to miss her friend. So it was just recently that Alex and Hedda, taking matters into their own hands, brought Jeb to her. “I can’t go away to school and leave you with just Alex and Rose,” Hedda said.

But until Hedda left, Jeb was her baby. He clung to her, chewed her shoes and socks, slept in her bed when he got too fussy in the kennel, and wouldn’t be still for anyone else.

“I’m going to be taking care of someone else’s dog again,” Jennifer said.

So they cried a lot that first year together, but laughed a lot, as well. Rose would pop over and find Jennifer and Hedda on the sofa holding each other, tears flowing over Joey or Alice or even Sylvia, and she would say, “Building an awful damn lot of character around here again.” And the tears would melt into laughter.

Adjustment problems came and went, and all through that year they kept close tabs on the indictment and prosecution of Nick Noble. Numerous felony counts were leveled by the federal government and it looked as if he was going away for a long time. His allies vanished as his assets were frozen, likely to be seized with his convictions. And Barbara didn’t make out too well; she had counted on a big settlement out of Nick’s wealth, and it seemed she had very little she could call her own.

But Jennifer was fine. Besides some jewelry, nothing of her savings or investments could be linked to any ill-gotten gains. Her short-term plans for that money were to supplement her diner income and make sure that Hedda, already an academic-scholarship recipient, had no shortfall of money for college.

Jeb, three months old and already fourteen pounds, rode in the basket on Hedda’s bike, and when they got to the park the bighorns were already there, complete with a new flock of lambs. Jeb made a puppyish gurgling growl and Hedda clamped a gentle hand over his snout and told him to be a gentleman.

“How many do you count?” Jennifer asked her.

“Five,” she said. “No, six.”

“Doesn’t it make you feel brand new to see the lambs in spring? It’s like life is starting today, and is just going to get better and better. God, I love my life!” Jennifer said.

Hedda made a strange sound and buried her face in Jeb’s fur.

“Don’t you dare start crying! We’re not crying today! We have a million great surprises ready for you!”

She lifted her head, her eyes glistening. “You’d better give me one now,” she said. “I’m feeling a little sentimental, not to mention freaked out about college.”

“Okay. One. Just before you go to school, we’re going to combine your going-away party with a wedding reception.”

“Oh, really?” she said. “Am I getting married?”

“I don’t think so,” Alex said. “Not till you’re twenty-seven. But we are. We thought we’d better make it legal since our chaperone is going to be away so much.”