Tracie Peterson Read online

  “I’ll refresh your memory after you answer the phone.”

  Cara trembled slightly and picked up the call. “Hello?”

  “Cara, it’s Bob.”

  She felt the color drain from her face. “What is it, Bob?”

  Harry pulled out her chair and motioned her to sit.

  “In light of the recent events,” Bob began, sounding much like a press release, “I’m bringing you back to Topeka. I believe in the long run it will provide for a more secure administration.”

  “I see. How soon?” Cara saw Harry’s puzzled expression but didn’t want to give away his presence to Kerns.

  “Immediately. Leave the staff to close out the office and head back today.”

  “I can’t,” Cara told him. “I’m taking a week off. I need the space and the time. I’m going to see my daughter, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “I see.” Bob sounded surprised but did nothing to refuse her. “When will you be back in the office?”

  “Well, this is Thursday, so I guess a week from Monday should allow me enough time to clear my head.” Harry was nodding approvingly.

  “You’ll still need to have security with you. There have been some additional threats up here, and . . .”

  “What kind of additional threats?” Cara questioned, eyeing Harry to see if he knew about them. When he shrugged and shook his head, she felt better. At least he wasn’t trying to keep anything from her.

  “I’ll fill you in on it when you get back to Topeka. In the meantime, tell your Lieutenant Oberlin to give my office a call. I’ll have him completely apprised of the circumstances so that he can better deal with your security.”

  “I’ll tell him,” Cara replied.

  “I guess, then, I’ll see you a week from Monday. Do I have a number where I can reach you?”

  “Probably,” Cara said, feeling rather snide, “but don’t use it.” She hung up the phone a little harder than she’d intended and turned to Harry. “You’re supposed to call the governor’s office for details on developing problems.”

  “Will do,” answered Harry with a mock salute. “Now, about our unfinished business . . .”

  ****

  Bob Kerns listened for a moment to silence on the other end of the receiver before hanging up the telephone. His call to Cara had been less than satisfying. He felt as though the world had suddenly turned upside down, and now the inmates were running the asylum.

  More disturbed by Russell’s death than he liked to admit, Kerns hadn’t known a decent night’s sleep since the shooting. Every time he stepped out of his office he was surrounded by no fewer than six armed men. This was supposed to discourage any further attempts on his life, but it didn’t stop the threat of those attempts. Daily hate mail revealed a variety of methods in which people hoped to rid the state of his presence. Most came anonymously, but surprisingly, a few came signed. Of course, those didn’t usually bear any real or intended threat, but spoke with the same hatred and malice that was evident in the other letters.

  Kerns was scared, and for the first time in his life he knew what it was to feel hunted.

  “I’ve arranged for Russell’s office to be inventoried and packed,” Serena Perez announced, bringing a cup of black coffee to Bob. “I’ve also sent press releases regarding the funeral and closing of state offices on Friday.”

  “Thanks,” Kerns replied, taking the cup. He was grateful for the shapely brunette’s ingenuity and organization.

  “Is there anything I can take over in Russ’s absence?” Serena questioned softly.

  Kerns looked up, taking in her stylish silk dress. She looked stunning as usual, but her trademark flirtatiousness was gone. There was nothing but true concern in her voice this time, and for some reason Kerns found it comforting.

  “I’m going to have to replace Russell, but I just don’t trust that many people.”

  “What if I were to take over his duties until a replacement can be found?”

  Kerns took a drink and shot a grateful look at Serena as he tasted the liberal amount of brandy she’d added to the coffee. “Do you think you want that kind of headache?”

  “I’ve had worse jobs. Handling people is my specialty.”

  Kerns nodded. “Okay, the job is yours.”

  “Just like that?” Serena sounded surprised.

  “Why not? You’ve been faithful and beautiful and everything . . .” Kerns paused, putting down the cup and getting to his feet. “Well, almost everything a man could want.”

  Serena smiled and fairly purred a reply, “I try to please.”

  Kerns stood directly in front of her. “Not hard enough,” he said suggestively.

  Serena pouted. “Poor Bob, as if you didn’t have your hands full enough.” She smiled and put her arms around his neck. “I suppose, just this once, we could seal the deal with a kiss.”

  Kerns couldn’t believe his good fortune. Wasting no time, he pulled her roughly against him and kissed her hard.

  “Daddy!” Danielle Kerns exclaimed from the door.

  Bob looked up at the sound of his daughter’s voice. Beside her, his wife stared daggers at him. Danielle put an arm around her mother in a defensive response to the scene, while Serena discretely moved away from Bob.

  “How could you do this, Dad?”

  “Yes, Bob, tell our daughter how it is that you could do such a thing. And while you’re at it, explain all the other times to her, as well.”

  “I don’t owe any explanations. Now, please tell me why you’re interrupting my day.” He refused to be intimidated by the women in his life, even though he’d faced it from all corners on this particular day.

  Debra stared at Serena until the brunette offered a smile and walked from the room. “At least your taste in bimbos has improved. This one wears designer clothes.”

  “Isn’t it a little late in the day for you to be sober?” Bob questioned sarcastically. “Tell me why you’ve come here and then get out.”

  “I want to know what gives you the right to go behind my back and make arrangements to put me in Menninger’s.”

  “If you’d stay dry long enough, you’d have learned that this is old business, Debra. I’m not sure how you found out about it, but I’m serious about the conclusion. You will go into rehab for your drinking problem.”

  “Never!” Debra railed and lunged at her husband.

  ****

  After a quick trip home to Lawrence, where Melissa deposited the coroner’s papers, she was back in Topeka for some answers. Outside the open door of the governor’s office, Melissa Jordon heard and saw the showdown between Kerns and his wife. She’d come to the Capitol in hopes of securing a brief visit with Bob Kerns regarding Teri, but this was proving to be even better. Whipping out a notebook, she began to shorthand the entire affair.

  “I don’t think it would be wise to make the governor and first lady front-page news because of this,” Serena said from behind Melissa.

  “Everything they do holds potential for being front-page news.”

  “But this is a private family matter. Surely you don’t want to tear them any further apart by speculation and false rumors.”

  Melissa shook her head. “These are hardly false rumors. This is a firsthand account of the situation. No grapevine or ‘He said-she said’ from the staff.” Her hands fairly flew to keep up with the scene.

  “Mom, please,” Danielle was begging her mother, “let’s just go.” Debra turned and without warning slapped Danielle hard across the face.

  Everything stopped.

  Kerns froze in place, as did Serena and Melissa. Even Danielle did nothing more than put a hand to her cheek. The shocked expression on her face mirrored everyone’s feelings.

  It was at this point that Melissa made eye contact with Kerns. He was very angry, and seeing her only seemed to expand his rage. He went quickly to his desk and pressed a button. Immediately the side door opened and three armed security guards entered the room.

&nbs
p; “Take Mrs. Kerns into protective custody. We’ll be escorting her to Menninger’s very shortly.”

  Debra threw her purse at Kerns, hitting him in the middle of his chest. Danielle did nothing, still stunned by her mother’s reaction.

  Melissa noted it all and knew it was clearly the story of the year. As Debra began to scuffle and fight with the guards, Kerns called to Serena to bring in more help.

  Never once did Melissa fear for her own safety. She was a newspaper reporter, after all. She’d been in worse situations than this. What I wouldn’t give for a camera, she thought.

  As the security guards pulled Debra out the side door, Danielle followed in silence while Kerns spoke in low tones to an awaiting bodyguard. The man looked up, saw Melissa, and nodded. Suddenly Melissa felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand straight up. It was the kind of feeling she got whenever she was in real trouble.

  Sensing she’d worn out her welcome, Melissa eased away from the inner office and backed toward the outer-office door.

  “You aren’t going anywhere, Mrs. Jordon,” Kerns announced, walking very slowly into the outer office.

  By this time Melissa had backed into the solid wall of security guards and knew a feeling of desperation as one of the guards took hold of her.

  Kerns walked toward her with deliberate slowness. “You and I are going to have a little talk,” he said, lifting an auburn curl from her collar. “A very important talk.”

  Thirty-Seven

  Going to Hays had been the very best thing Cara could have done. Seeing Brianna and taking her into her open arms, Cara felt whole again. Harry stood several feet away, but Brianna instantly saw him and ran to offer him the same greeting.

  “Harry!” She dove into his arms and squealed as he lifted her in the air.

  Cara watched the display, thinking of the three different times Harry had tried to bring up the idea of marriage on the drive up from Wichita. Brianna would be pleased if she agreed to marry Harry. Her mom and dad were beaming smiles from the porch, and Cara could well imagine that with Harry accompanying her, they’d instantly assume an announcement might be forthcoming.

  “Mom! Dad!” Cara exclaimed with a wave. She hoped they wouldn’t be too brazen about Harry’s appearance. She would, of course, explain the need for security and ease out of speculation that way. At least that was the plan.

  “I see you’ve brought Brianna’s favorite highway patrolman,” her father said, coming down the walk to embrace Cara. “My guess is,” he said when he was close enough to whisper, “he’s more than just Brianna’s favorite.”

  “Harry is my full-time bodyguard,” Cara explained.

  “I’ll bet he hates that job.” Her father’s laughing face was enough to cause her to blush.

  “Harry’s going to stay with us, Grandpa. Isn’t that great!” Brianna exclaimed, bringing Harry along with her as if he were on a leash.

  “I’ll say. How do we rate such a treat?” Gus questioned, rubbing Brianna’s head lovingly.

  “He’s got to guard Mama. There’s been a lot of trouble, you know.”

  She spoke very authoritatively, and Cara thought her daughter had aged at least five years in the last three weeks. Talking every night on the phone was definitely not enough exposure to her rapidly changing child.

  Considering how she might rectify the situation, Cara missed much of the exchange between her parents and Harry. She heard her mother offer Harry the guest bedroom and suggest that Cara and Brianna sleep together in Cara’s old room.

  “You’ll just be down at the end of the hall,” Brianna told Harry very seriously. “Will that be close enough to guard us? I don’t think anybody could sneak into the house so fast that you couldn’t just run down the hall. But they could throw a bomb,” Brianna said, seeming to consider all of the possibilities. “If the room down the hall isn’t close enough, you could—”

  “I’m not having him sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed, if that’s what you were going to suggest,” Cara interjected. She hated that the situation seemed so matter-of-fact to Brianna. When did her young daughter take terroristic acts as commonplace occurrences in their lives?

  Harry smiled at her over Brianna’s head. No doubt he thought the issue could be quite easily resolved with a trip to the nearest parson. “The guest room sounds like it will work out just fine,” Harry assured Brianna.

  “You two must be just about famished.”

  Cara was grateful for her mother’s interruption. “We are,” she answered and made her way to give her mother a hug. “What’s for supper?”

  ****

  Later that night, Cara slipped into bed with Brianna and pulled the sleeping child close. The smell of freshly washed hair and bubble bath reassured Cara that Brianna was really there. Suddenly the world seemed less crazy.

  Her mind wandered down the hall to where Harry would sleep. He fit in well with her family, and having lost his own parents at an early age, Cara thought he more than welcomed the mothering of Hazel Brown.

  “Marry me,” he had insisted, taking the Hays exit from Interstate 70. She’d only smiled and kept her mouth shut. It was exactly what she’d told Harry she’d do until some of the more complicated matters in her life were worked out. It didn’t seem to discourage him from asking.

  Brianna sighed and rolled away from her, leaving Cara with an empty feeling. It wouldn’t be long before Brianna was grown and gone. For years she’d pleaded for a baby brother or sister, and for just as long, Cara had insisted they were enough family for each other.

  “I’ve cheated you out of some of the very best things in life,” Cara whispered, stroking back long brown strands of hair from Brianna’s face. “You didn’t ask for much. A father. A family. I thought I could be everything to you, but I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

  Cara thought of how their lives had changed because of her involvement with Kerns. She was working at a job she hated, caught up in a lifestyle where she felt like a foreigner, and everyone she loved was in danger because of the slash-and-burn tactics of the governor. Anger overwhelmed her. This had all happened because Kerns had threatened HEARTBEAT and Suzanne Milken.

  Thoughts of Suzanne made her believe her choice had been the right one. Their baby boy had arrived safe and sound just months after Cara had turned the ministry over to Joe. But instead of a comforting thought, this only made her angrier. Kerns didn’t care who he destroyed. It didn’t even matter if he knew the people involved. If he wanted something, he took it. Whether it was a person’s livelihood or their life.

  Teri and Jamie Davis came to mind. They were both so young and innocent, but again Kerns had seen a way to take something precious and corrupt it. No longer able to lie beside her daughter and feel so angry, Cara got up and paced the room. Throwing on a robe, she decided to go outside for some air.

  It was nearly midnight, and because their farm was well away from Hays proper, the night held nothing but the chirping of crickets and the occasional lowing of milk cows from her father’s barn. Walking out past the barn and livestock pens, Cara’s thoughts were consumed with her anger.

  Kerns. Kerns. Kerns. Her feet seemed to march in rhythm as she moved farther away from the soft glow of the porch light. This was Bob Kerns’ fault and Bob Kerns should pay.

  Overhead, moonlight brightened the pathway to the pond. Cara had swum here as a child, enjoying long lazy summer days. Now she just wandered aimlessly, no purpose, no direction. Pausing by a collection of farm debris, she picked up a rock from the path and threw it at the water’s silky reflection of trees.

  “I hate you!” she yelled and threw another rock and then another.

  Soon she was reaching for whatever she could find. Rocks, branches, old rusty buckets, and pieces of pipe. Wherever something appeared to have collected, Cara pulled it from its peaceful rest and threw it as hard as she could.

  Splash! Crash! The sounds alternated, depending on whether she hit the water or the rocky ledge beside the pond.

&n
bsp; “This is all your fault!” At one point she knew that she’d cut her hand, but she didn’t care. Somehow, someway she had to get Bob Kerns out of her mind. She had to let go of the anger within or go mad.

  “Cara?”

  Turning around, Cara could see the outline of Harry’s silhouette. Kerns had even ruined this for her.

  “No, I won’t marry you. I can’t marry you or anyone!” she declared to the imagined question. “Bob Kerns would just kill you or force you into some sort of hardship.” She picked up a wooden crate they’d used for sitting to fish and heaved it into the water.

  “Stop it, Cara,” Harry said, coming forward.

  “Make him stop first!” she said, sounding like a preschooler fighting over toys. “You make him stop.”

  She reached down for something else but found nothing. By this time Harry had crossed the distance between them and encircled her with his arms.

  “Make who stop?” he asked softly.

  Cara struggled against him but knew it was no use. Finally tiring of her fight, she grew still in his arms. “Kerns,” she said in a whimper.

  “Is that what all this is about?”

  She nodded. “He’s cost me so much. I know it may sound stupid, but I couldn’t sleep beside Brianna knowing that I put her in the path of danger.”

  She was calmer now, so Harry dropped his hold. Reaching down, he rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “So quit your job. Resign the position.”

  Cara looked at him blankly. “It isn’t that easy.”

  “Why not? Kerns can’t want anything else from you. You got him into office, and now that he’s beginning to have more trouble than he’d planned, what’s to stop you? Kerns certainly isn’t going to want you to go public with accusations of inappropriate behavior.”

  “What if he threatens me? What if he threatens Brianna?”

  “Take witnesses. Make a public declaration first, without telling him. Call Melissa and get the press together and announce that because you’re marrying Harry Oberlin and moving far, far away to raise a large family, you can no longer continue with the duties of lieutenant governor.”