Tracie Peterson Read online

“I was out of town yesterday, as you know, otherwise I would have called you at home.” The tone of his voice left little doubt in Kerns’ mind that this was a very serious matter.

  “That bad, eh?” Kerns eased back in his chair.

  “That and more. Where’s Cara?”

  Kerns smiled. “Shaking hands and kissing babies at Westridge Mall. Why?”

  Russell held up the recorder. “I have no idea what this is all about, but you may have cost yourself the campaign. This needs immediate action, or I guarantee being governor of this state will be totally off limits to you.”

  Kerns assumed his stoic stare. “Play it.”

  Kerns wasn’t prepared for the contents of the tape. He erupted in anger, pounding his fists against the desk and jumping to his feet. “I can’t believe this is happening. I gave that conniving little . . .” He fell silent and tried to contain his anger. “I gave her five thousand dollars to have an abortion and what does she do? She stabs me in the back.”

  “So it is true?” Russell braved the question.

  Kerns turned on him. “Yes,” he hissed the word. “For whatever good it does to tell you.”

  “Bob, when I asked you if there were any skeletons from the past that wouldn’t stay buried, you assured me there weren’t. I’d say this is a pretty big skeleton, and from the sounds of it, this Teri Davis isn’t going to let things just drop.” Water from his rain-drenched hair dripped down the side of his face. “You’d better tell me everything,” stated Russell. “We’ll judge from that what kind of damage control is necessary.”

  “I don’t want damage control. I want that girl dealt with! This is outrageous. I run grown men like a drill sergeant, but you’re telling me that one teenage girl is going to make me lose an election? That doesn’t call for mere damage control, Owens, I can tell you that much!”

  “So what do you suggest? Hire her on as another press secretary?”

  Kerns tried not to react to Russell’s sarcasm. He knew the man’s attitude was born out of fear that the election was over before it had truly started. Still, no one could talk to him like that and get away with it.

  “Maybe she’d make a better campaign manager,” Kerns said in a low threatening voice.

  “At least she knows all of your secrets,” Owens replied, sounding almost as angry as Kerns felt.

  Bob started to answer, then stopped abruptly. He realized the futility of arguing with Owens. He needed this man more than ever now. “All right, truce,” he called and took his seat at the desk. “What’s happened is over and done. What I need is a permanent solution.”

  Russell pulled a chair closer to the desk and took a seat. “What do you mean by permanent?”

  Kerns eyed the younger man. “I mean, I want this taken care of once and for all before Cara and her devoted buddy take this any further. I can’t very well force Mrs. Kessler to continue the election if she holds a bigger trump card over my head than I hold over hers, now can I?”

  “No, I suppose not, but she already knows about Teri and nothing is going to change that fact.”

  “She knows about Teri, but Cara is easy to intimidate.”

  “You’ve already threatened her ministry and she’s since turned that over to her partner.”

  “She has a daughter,” Kerns said, not breaking eye contact with Owens for even a moment.

  “What about Jordan? She may not be so quick to shut up.”

  Kerns smiled. “If she starts digging in the wrong places, I’ll take care of her myself. Besides, when Cara and Melissa see what befalls Teri Davis and her child, they’ll be less inclined to interfere.”

  “And what is it you suggest happen to Teri and her child?”

  Kerns folded his hands. “I don’t much care so long as it’s permanent. The more eternal the solution, the better. Do you understand what I’m saying here, Russell?”

  Owens paled. “I think so. You don’t care how I handle the situation or what happens to the people involved, as long as this whole thing goes away.”

  “Exactly right.”

  “But what about the baby? After all, the child is your own flesh and blood.”

  Kerns eyed Russell with contempt for the reminder. “The child is dead as far as I’m concerned. I paid for the abortion, remember?”

  “Yeah,” Owens answered.

  Kerns could tell the light of understanding was just beginning to dawn in Russell’s mind.

  “How do you want it—”

  Kerns interrupted. “I don’t want to know anything. The less I know, the less I can confess. As far as I’m concerned, Teri Davis was a poor orphaned teen who ended up in one foster home after another. My family tried to befriend her and she robbed us blind. If I’m questioned beyond that, I’ll have nothing to say.”

  Russell nodded. “As unpleasant as the job is, I’ll take care of it right away.”

  “Good,” Kerns replied, seeing that Owens had reconciled himself to the situation. “I leave tomorrow on our statewide campaign tour, and of course Debra and Danielle are going to accompany me. By the time you join us in Wichita, I’ll expect the matter to be resolved.”

  “Consider it done.”

  ****

  Russell Owens smiled to himself as he walked to the car. It was still raining, but nothing could daunt his spirits in light of what he’d just managed to do. Pressing the rewind button on the microrecorder, he waited for a moment, then pressed play.

  “The child is dead as far as I’m concerned. . . .” Kerns’ voice was clear. Russell hit the stop button and popped out the tape. This was going to be his insurance policy for controlling Kerns in the years to come. He’d do the man’s dirty work, but it would come at a considerable price.

  Seventeen

  When September rolled around, Danielle Kerns had left the campaign trail to return rather reluctantly to college in Topeka. She wasn’t the least bit scholarly minded and wished instead to open a dress boutique that would specialize in designer fashions. Her father refused to listen to her idea, however, and so hoping to win his elusive approval, she headed back to school.

  Danielle walked from room to room, feeling the emptiness. An uncomfortable silence held the fashionable house captive. Mrs. Gleason, their housekeeper, was on vacation visiting her daughter in Canada. Staring out of the kitchen window, Danielle missed the companionship of friends and family more than ever. Her brother, Gary, now newly graduated from the University of Kansas, had moved to Dallas in an effort to distance himself as far as possible from his father. They’d never gotten along, and often Danielle had found herself playing mediator between the two. The fights always stemmed from her father’s desire to control them without investing any real part of himself in their lives. That much Danielle had learned from her brother. Gary was a good friend to her. He always listened to her dreams and encouraged her to break free from their father’s stranglehold and live her own life. Unfortunately, Danielle knew she wasn’t made of strong enough stuff.

  On this particular September morning, Danielle couldn’t help but think of Teri Davis. They’d been friends for such a long time, and it seemed so out of character for Teri to just pull out of college and leave without a word to anyone. Danielle shuddered to think of what might have happened to her.

  Noting the hour, Danielle realized there was little time for daydreams and regrets. Grabbing her books and purse, she headed for the door just as the telephone rang. It was probably her mother, Danielle decided and deposited her things on the hallway table. Debra Kerns was possibly the only person who understood Danielle’s plight, and because of that, Danielle loved her mother more than anyone else in the world.

  “Hello!” Danielle greeted with a warm eager voice.

  “Dani?”

  Danielle nearly dropped the receiver. “Teri, is that you?”

  “Yeah, surprise,” the girl responded in a voice that sounded less than enthusiastic.

  “Teri, I can’t believe I’m talking to you. I was just thinking about you and ho
w it’s been almost a year—”

  “I know,” interrupted Teri. “Look, Dani, I called because I wanted to explain about that year.”

  “Are you all right? Where are you?” Danielle asked quickly. Suddenly nothing mattered as much as seeing Teri again.

  “I’m okay. I’m living here in Topeka . . . well . . . actually outside of town,” she said, hesitating. “I’m going to give you the address, but you’ve got to swear you won’t give it out to anyone else. Not even your family.”

  “But Mom and Dad have been worried about you, too,” Danielle stated.

  “You can’t let them know you’ve even talked to me. Not yet. Look, I’m living in an out-of-the-way place off of west Highway 24. You go south on Hodges Road until it dead-ends. I live in the old white house near the river levee. It’s on the left and easy to spot. Can you come?”

  “Sure, but I still don’t understand.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Teri insisted. “I’ll explain it all to you when you get here. How about tonight? Say around eight?”

  “Can’t I see you sooner?”

  “No, I need to take care of some other business, and I’m not sure I can be back here before then.”

  Just then, Danielle heard a baby’s cry from the other end of the line. “Teri, who’s crying?”

  “I’ll tell you all about it when you come tonight. Look, I can’t hang on. Please don’t tell anyone you’ve talked to me. It’s really important, okay?”

  “Sure, Teri. I’ll see you tonight.”

  ****

  The phone call to Danielle was exactly the break Russell Owens needed. After weeks of detective work and failed leads, he was finally going to be able to take care of their little problem with Bob’s past. Kerns hadn’t been too kind when Russell had showed up in Wichita shortly before the Fourth of July, only to announce that Teri Davis was nowhere to be found.

  As Kerns had put it, this wasn’t an optional job. It was something that had to be ended quickly. The closer it got to the election, the more trouble it could be. Now with the election only weeks away, Russell was running out of time.

  The girl was smart, he had to give her that. She apparently hadn’t given birth in any Kansas or Missouri hospital and wasn’t signed up to receive welfare. Russell had turned the Vital Statistics and Social and Rehabilitation Services upside down trying to find even a single piece of paper that would evidence Teri’s existence. There was none to be found.

  Looking at the notes he’d made, Russell gave the audio surveillance equipment a pat. I should call Kerns and give him the good news, he thought. He picked up the telephone, then put it back down. No, he’d wait until the job was done and Teri Davis was no more of a threat to the campaign. Then, once the problem was eliminated, Russell could join up with Kerns on the campaign trail and see about getting rid of Serena Perez.

  But eliminating Teri Davis and her child was the one thing that truly bothered Russell. He didn’t mind the thought of erasing a potential threat, he was just hard-pressed to trust anyone to get the job done. He had gone through a list of people that Kerns had supplied, but every time he started to consider one of them, Russell could only think of the guy as a future witness against him.

  “I’ll do it myself,” he said, making his final decision aloud. There was far less risk that way. He went to his desk drawer and reached into the far back. Slowly, almost ceremonially, he pulled the .45 semiautomatic from the drawer. The stainless steel barrel caught the light from his desk lamp, causing the gun to glow in his hands.

  “If you want a job done right . . . do it yourself,” he muttered as he pulled back the slide.

  Eighteen

  Teri had just placed Jamie in the bathtub when a knock sounded at her door. She glanced at her watch. It was only seven-thirty, but no doubt Danielle was anxious to find out what was going on. She wrapped Jamie in a rough worn towel and snuggled her close for warmth.

  “You’re early,” she said, pulling the door open, the chain still in place. Expecting to find Danielle staring back at her, Teri wasn’t prepared for the sight of the dark-clad man. “Who are you?”

  “I’m a friend,” he announced.

  “I don’t have any friends,” Teri replied.

  “What about Cara Kessler and Danielle Kerns?” the man called back.

  Teri’s heart stopped beating for a moment, then she fumbled with the door chain and opened the door. The man pushed up gold wire-framed glasses. “I know them, but I don’t know you,” she said suspiciously.

  “You went to see Cara Kessler today, right?” the man said in a hopeful tone.

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “So, Cara was real worried about you. She found out that Kerns is cutting his campaign trip short, and she’s afraid he’ll manage to locate you when he returns.”

  “But unless Cara has said something to him about me, Kerns doesn’t even know I’m here in Topeka.”

  The man shrugged. “Cara just sent me to get you to a safe place. She says it’s important you come see her right away. She has to discuss this situation with you and decide what’s to be done.”

  Teri eyed him for a moment longer. It was true she’d gone to see Cara Kessler. In fact, that was what had taken her away from home most of the day. She’d been keeping in touch, usually by phone, with Cara. But she was always careful to use a pay phone in town. She even used a different pay phone each time, just in case someone tried to trace the call. Now here was a complete stranger standing in her doorway, expecting her to go with him.

  “I can’t leave. I’m expecting company.”

  “Cara said it was a matter of life and death,” the man replied. “Why don’t you dress the baby and I’ll wait here to drive you into town.”

  Jamie was starting to fuss from her uncomfortable position, and Teri couldn’t argue the point of dressing the child. “Okay. Just give me a minute.”

  She went to the well-worn couch, where a package of diapers and change of clothes were already waiting. Unwrapping Jamie, she placed the diaper on the baby and was just pulling open the sticky tabs when it suddenly dawned on her. She hadn’t given her address to Cara. The hair on the back of her neck began to prickle. Cara couldn’t have sent this man.

  Whirling around, Teri noticed beads of perspiration on the man’s forehead. “I think I’d like to call Cara first.”

  Pulling out a gun, the man motioned to the couch. “Get that brat dressed and hurry up.”

  Teri felt the color drain from her face. Her hands shook so badly she couldn’t do up the little buttons on Jamie’s pajamas.

  “Come on.” He yanked her arm and threw her a bag. “Get what you need for the baby. You’re going on a little trip.”

  “Who are you?” Teri finally managed to say.

  The man smiled at her with cold indifference. “Let’s just say I’m a close friend of Jamie’s father.”

  ****

  Danielle was more than a little disgusted by the evening’s turn of events. A flat tire had rendered her without transportation while she waited for over an hour for the repair service to come to her rescue. Then, when the serviceman had announced the tire had been slashed and was beyond repair, Danielle was further delayed by getting the car towed to the service station for a new tire.

  Finally on the road and heading north on Highway 75, Danielle heard the disc jockey announce the time as nine-thirty. Smacking the flat of her palm on the steering wheel, Danielle winced in pain. She’d desperately wanted to call and explain the delay to her friend, but she didn’t have the telephone number.

  “By the time I get there, I’ll be almost two hours late,” she muttered to no one. Taking the cloverleaf exchange to Highway 24, Danielle couldn’t shake the feeling that she already knew what Teri was going to tell her. It all seemed to make sense now. The fact that Teri had just disappeared without a word and the baby crying in the background. She must have gotten pregnant, Danielle decided, but she saw no reason why Teri had to run away from their friendship.r />
  Nearly nine miles west of town, Danielle had to rely on her headlights to locate Hodges Road. It was the kind of night that seemed to snuff out the light from every source, and even her car lights didn’t seem to reach far into the thick blackness.

  Finally the sign appeared and Danielle breathed a sigh of relief. Her relief, however, was short-lived. The gravel road was darker still, and the only light around was a pinpoint porch light in the distance.

  Pulling into Teri’s narrow dirt drive, Danielle couldn’t find a sign of anyone. The porch light, which had belonged to another house far to the north, offered her nothing in the way of help.

  Cautiously she got out of the car. The rushing sound of the river just beyond the levee and the wind in the trees gave Danielle an eerie feeling of isolation. She lost little time making her way to the house.

  “Teri!” she called out and knocked loudly on the door. “Teri!”

  There was no reply.

  Looking in the darkened window, Danielle felt a shiver of apprehension. A dog barked in the distance and something flew overhead in the moonless sky.

  “Teri, it’s me, Danielle. Open up!”

  Still, there was no answer.

  Getting up her courage, Danielle walked around the house. Finding no sign of Teri, Danielle made her way back to the car. She was scared through and through, but her apprehension had more to do with Teri than with the frightening darkness. Tripping, she reached down to find that she’d put her foot into a small empty box. She yanked it off and held it up to her face.

  “Baby cereal,” she read, barely able to make out the words.

  She moved to where the outline of a trash barrel caught her eye and threw the box in. White lumpy forms caught her attention and Danielle gingerly lifted one out to find a disposable diaper.

  “Teri has a baby,” she whispered. It confirmed her earlier beliefs. “Oh, Teri. I would have understood.” She dropped the diaper and went to her car.

  If Teri had a baby, then she’d need as much help and emotional support as Danielle could possibly give. The only question was, where was Teri?