Running On Fear Read online

  Melanie wiped tears from her eyes. “I do, too, honey.”

  The restaurant door opened. A slim, black man entered and approached their table.

  “Wilson, did you find anything?” Duncan moved back to his seat.

  Wilson pulled a chair from another table and sat down. “You were right. Seems someone tampered with the brake lines. Whoever did this tried to make it a clean job, but they found a few drops of brake fluid on the ground. This guy is smooth. It took us some time to see how he’d carefully fixed the brake line. Unfortunately, he left no prints.”

  “Are there ever? Want some coffee?”

  “No, I think I’ve had my fill for the morning.”

  Melanie took a sip of the orange juice.

  Wilson turned his attention to Melanie. “Your nerves a little better now?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “What about you, sport, and Miss Tiffany?”

  They both nodded.

  “I think they’re slowly getting there,” Duncan lied.

  “I was able to get another SUV, with plates and everything ready to go. Ramon went with me. We got Hargrove to keep an eye on the place.”

  “That was fast,” Melanie said.

  “We worked fast with the insurance company. Seems when someone flashes a badge, people hurry. They don’t ask questions, just hurry. Sort of like flashing money in their faces.” He gave a slight grin.

  “What about Spencer?” Duncan asked.

  “Still coming up empty.”

  Duncan slammed a tightened fist on the table. It made Tiffany and Melanie flinch, and a few of the other diners take notice.

  “Sorry, just habit.” Duncan eyed their empty plates. “Wilson, what about breakfast? Have you had any?”

  “Yeah, Ramon and I had a bite while we were waiting.”

  “So, we’re all set to go?”

  “Yep, Duncan, all set.” Wilson handed the keys to him. “Melanie, the insurance company said they’d take care of the paperwork with the other vehicle. Told me to tell you not to worry.”

  “I won’t. After all it was Allison’s car and it’s not like she…” She caught her sentence in mid-air. “I mean with her on her honeymoon, who’d want to worry about insurance, right?” She lowered her eyes to her half glass of orange juice. When would she ever forget her sister’s body lying on that cold slab? Would that feeling ever go away?

  Matt and Tiffany exchanged a glance. They knew the truth, but no way would they say anything yet.

  “One more thing,” Wilson said, rising from the chair. “I put a rush on that other info you wanted checked. They’ll page you and let you know when all the facts come in. Know you’re anxious.”

  Anxious was right. Duncan wanted to know all about Harris Galloway and just what he was doing in Dollywood the same day Melanie was there. He’d never believe it was coincidence. His job led him to believe it was much more than that, and he’d made sure to tell Wilson not to give that information to Melanie or the children.

  “I appreciate all your help, Wilson. Give my best to the family.”

  “I will. You look like you’ve got a nice family yourself.”

  Duncan glanced at each of them. “Yeah, I think I do. I think we better head out. Still want to stop over at Stone Mountain, Matt?” Duncan said while getting some money from his wallet.

  “I’ll leave it to you and Mom. Tiffany and I would like to, but with what happened…”

  “I think a brief stop might do us all some good. We should still make good time even if we only stop in for a few hours. You game, Melanie?” He caressed the softness of her hand.

  She cupped his fingers. “Yes, a brief layover might do us all some good. It was nice meeting you, Wilson.”

  “Any time, ma’am. Hope next time it will be under better circumstances.” Wilson smiled.

  “Yes, me, too.”

  The man across the street sat in the parking lot looking through the newspaper. So far he hadn’t been spotted. He pulled the keys from his pocket when he saw the little birdies coming out of the restaurant. Hmmm, time to go on another road trip. Now where were they heading? Perhaps back to Macon, or would there be another little stop? The brake job had failed miserably. Now for Plan B.

  “Melanie, you think you’re so safe being with this agent but you aren’t, sweetheart. I was hoping the little accident would put him out of commission, but again he’s still right by your side. Well, not for long. He’s not a cat with nine lives. All I have to do is follow behind and mingle just like another one of the tourists. I’ll go down to Macon with you, but when you head back to the cabin, that’s when I’ll make my bigger plan succeed. Then when your bodyguard is no longer there, I’ll reach out and snatch you away. I’m sure you will want me to grab you instead of the children.”

  A huge smile covered his lips, as he released a sinister laugh. He lit a cigarette and drew deeply on it.

  “Soon, my precious Melanie, soon. He can’t be there twenty-four-seven for you.”

  Thirty minutes down the road, Duncan noticed silent tears were flowing down Melanie’s cheeks. He looked for a place to pull over then eased the vehicle to the shoulder. Placing it in park, he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over.

  “Melanie, sugar, don’t cry.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tenderly.

  “I-I’m sorry. I just want it to be over. Over, Duncan. I didn’t want to cry in front of you. In front of the children.”

  “Aunt Melanie, you can cry in front of Matt and me as much as you want. We don’t mind. We’ve all had a rough morning.”

  “Tiffany’s right,” Matt said.

  Duncan kissed Melanie on the cheek, then put his seatbelt back on.

  Matt looked over at Tiffany then nodded.

  She returned the nod. “Dad, could we go home and save Stone Mountain for tomorrow after we get out of school? It’ll be okay afterwards. It’s not like it’s going anywhere. Tiffany and I need to talk to you and Aunt Melanie.”

  Duncan looked in the rear view mirror. Melanie turned her head to look at them. What could they possibly have to discuss?

  “Melanie?” Duncan asked with a curious eye.

  “Yes, let’s go to the house. We need to get another change of clothes and go over some things. And the children have something they wish to share with us.”

  “Okay, home it is,” Duncan said, as he put the car into gear and steered back onto the highway.

  Whatever the kids needed to discuss, their expressions said it was serious.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter 7

  They had been sitting in the living room in complete silence for the past ten minutes. Tiffany had put on a pot of coffee for Duncan. She was sure he’d need some coffee when all this was over. He might even need something stronger. Finally clearing her throat she rose to her feet wringing her hands together. Matt saw her worried look and went to stand by her side.

  Melanie saw the trepidation on both their small faces. Oh no, they knew. But how … Unless they’d been eavesdropping from the kitchen when Duncan had told her the first time. No, that couldn’t be the case. They’d been too calm on the trip.

  Tiffany saw her aunt’s troubled expression. She palmed a hand through the air.

  “Aunt Melanie, it isn’t what you think. We weren’t eavesdropping.”

  Was the girl clairvoyant? “You both have me worried. Please, are you sick or what?”

  “Uncle Duncan, will we be arrested for withholding evidence?” Tiffany asked. “I mean, if we didn’t really think it really was evidence, but weren’t sure?”

  Duncan took a sip of steaming coffee, then placed his cup on the coffee table. “Why don’t you explain it to us first, then we can go from there?”

  “We don’t want to go to jail, Uncle Duncan,” Matt said.

  “Son, you won’t go to jail, but if you know something that might help us, we would be indebted.” Duncan leaned his body into the sofa’s cushion. He noticed that Melanie st
ill leaned slightly forward. He knew she was still in a lot of pain and wished, more than anything, that he could help her.

  “First off,” Tiffany said, swallowing hard. “We really weren’t eavesdropping. You and Aunt Melanie have to believe that.”

  “We do,” Duncan offered.

  “We know that Aunt Melanie didn’t go into any maze yesterday,” Matt said.

  “Not with the ashen look she had on her face,” Tiffany added. “I’ve seen that look too many times on the movies.”

  “She went to a morgue. She had to go view our mother.” Matt spoke solemnly, dropping his gaze then lifting it.

  Melanie’s hand flew to her mouth.

  “Yes. I wanted to go in there, but Tiffany said that we should remember mother the way she was before she left. Of course, we knew mother was slightly afraid. I don’t know why she married that man. He didn’t appear to be nice in some respects, but Mom said she was happy.”

  “I don’t think she was,” Tiffany remarked. “I heard her crying sometimes at night, but she would never tell us what was wrong. I do recall she once said Aunt Melanie was right, but that she was afraid to admit it.”

  “Children, I was never trying to interfere.”

  “Matt and I know, Aunt Melanie. Sometimes adults have to learn from their mistakes like children. Uncle Duncan, is our mother dead? Was that her in that room?” A single tear fell down Tiffany’s cheek.

  Duncan leaned forward on the sofa. “I’m not going to lie to you. I haven’t from the beginning. I won’t start now. Yes.” It was the hardest yes that had ever rolled off his lips.

  Matt allowed a hand to flex to his lips as he lightly chewed on his thumb. “Was it bad, Uncle Duncan?”

  “I don’t believe she suffered too much, if that’s what you’re asking.” No way was he going to tell them the truth now. Some things had to remain a secret.

  “Did he mess up her pretty face?” Tiffany asked.

  Duncan sighed. “I’m afraid so, but by the time our people got finished with her, you couldn’t really tell that she was too bad.”

  “Still, she’ll probably need a closed casket, won’t she?”

  “I think it would be best, Tiffany.”

  “You’re burying her tomorrow morning while we are at school with Miss Andrea, aren’t you?” Matt prompted.

  Duncan nodded.

  “Can you wait until after you pick us up at school? We want to be at the gravesite to say goodbye to Mom,” Tiffany said, as she finally stopped wringing her hands.

  Melanie could no longer stand it. She burst into tears.

  Duncan immediately pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her troubled heart.

  “I’m all right. Sorry, I couldn’t stop thinking,” Melanie said, minutes later as she broke from his hold.

  Matt handed her a tissue.

  “Thank you, dear. You and Tiffany are so very brave.”

  “Uncle Duncan, mother gave us this before she went on her honeymoon.” Tiffany opened her backpack and pulled out the letter. “Matt wanted me to give it to you after Aunt Melanie came out of that room, but I was afraid. It was our secret. I didn’t want to worry you and Aunt Melanie any more. Aunt Melanie was already so torn up over the death of…” Another tear fell from her cheek. “Here. It will explain some things, but not much.”

  Duncan took the letter, opened it and began reading it with Melanie.

  My dearest darling Tiffany and Matt, you will never know just how much joy the two of you have given me. I have really made a mess of my life. Your Aunt Melanie was right about things, but now I’m in too deep. I have to go with him. If I don’t he could harm my two lovely children. I can never allow that to happen. You are my life. If I were to not return, stay with your Aunt Melanie. She is the only family you have. Your father doesn’t even want to pay child support. This man I have taken up with will never be your father. He wants me to get into a business I refuse to follow. Says my beauty will bring him a lot of money. I am going to make sure to take care of him once I get far away from my children. I can’t allow him to harm you and I know if I stay here, he will. Once we are away I am going to notify the authorities and report him, but only when you two are safe with your Aunt Melanie. I know that he hates Melanie with a vengeance for begging me to stay away from him. She stood up to him and that is one thing that he despises, for any female to stand up to him. If I’m not able to have him locked away, he will be come after her. You three have to be careful. He has a business he throws women into. I won’t mention any names, that way you won’t be held responsible. But he isn’t the only one that you have to be careful of. Always stay with Aunt Melanie if I don’t return. She will be able to find a safe refuge for the three of you. She’s one smart cookie, my sister. She wouldn’t have gotten herself into this web of disaster. I really love the three of you and am so sorry that I got mixed up in all this mess. I really hope that I can do this and make it home again, but something tells me that I’m the one that will end up dead on a cold slab. Love you always. Just remember, I raised two smart kids, and Tiffany, even though Matthew is the one in the Gifted program, I always thought you were just as gifted. You both have advanced much with just a single parent, and I am very proud of you. Tell Aunt Melanie when she finds the right man, never let him go—Ever!

  Love and kisses, mom.

  Melanie burst into tears, then bolted from the sofa and rushed to Matt and Tiffany, throwing her arms around them. “I’m never letting you out of my sight,” she cried. “My babies, my wonderful babies, to keep this to yourself this whole time. Please forgive me for not telling you that your mother was in that room. I wanted to protect you. Please don’t hold it against me,” she said through mingled sobs as she pulled away and looked into their saddened faces.

  “We don’t want you mad at us for keeping the letter a secret,” Tiffany said through tears as well.

  “I could never be mad at you or Matt. I guess that we were all trying to protect each other.”

  “Will Uncle Duncan send us to jail for keeping the letter from him?” Matt whispered, but Duncan overheard. Matt felt a strong hand rub his back.

  “No son, I’m not sending you or Tiffany to jail. Like your aunt said, I guess we all were trying to protect each other in our own way. Me included.”

  “Still, we don’t know the names, Uncle Duncan. Mom was only going on her honeymoon with that man. I wished that she’d never met Riley Brewster. I bet he was the one that killed her.”

  Duncan pulled Matt into his arms. “You know it’s okay to cry if you want to, Matt. Sometimes even grown men have to shed tears. It doesn’t make them any less a man.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, son, really.”

  “I really … do … miss my mom,” Matt said as a few tears danced down his cheeks.

  Duncan’s arms encircled the boy. “Let’s take you upstairs. I think you might need to get a little rest. And you want to be refreshed for school in the morning. Why don’t you rest awhile then I’ll make some sandwiches. We can all retire earlier and get tomorrow over with before we head back.”

  “Let’s go to Stone Mountain like we promised,” Matt said, wiping away a tear as Duncan walked him up the stairs.

  “Yes, let’s do, Matt. Oh, first we have to go do those x-rays to make sure everyone is really okay. We’ve put that off longer than we should. Including me. I can just hear my boss now.”

  “On one condition,” Matthew said. “Please don’t leave us when all this is over with, Dad. Please don’t.”

  Duncan stopped at the top of the steps, the stare of his eyes wandering down to Melanie and Tiffany in each other’s arms. Could he really leave them when all this was over? He knew he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. But it would have to be Melanie’s choice.

  “They’re both asleep,” Duncan said, entering the bedroom.

  “I’m glad.” Melanie brushed a loose strand of hair off her face. “I don’t know how much more they can take, either.”

  “Th
is has been a rough roller coaster for them too.”

  “And to have that letter since the beginning. Those poor babies.”

  Duncan swept her in his arms gazing deeply into her eyes. “Those poor babies are pretty smart children. Like their mom said in the letter, well-advanced for their years.”

  “Yes, they are. Must have gotten their intelligent genes from their sister and me.”

  Duncan kissed the top of her forehead then found his way to her mouth, bestowing her a warm kiss.

  Melanie responded. She could still taste the coffee on his lips. The kiss became deeper, almost taking the pain from her soul. When it broke, she looked into his eyes.

  “Melanie, we should get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a difficult day.”

  “Did you want the spare room?”

  “No. We’re married. I want to share this bed with my wife, just like in the cabin when we return. No sense in having to make another bed in the morning.”

  Melanie chewed on her bottom lip. This closeness was getting the better of her. She had no idea how much longer she could refrain from throwing herself deeper into those strong arms. If this was how love felt, it had really hit her hard. “Guess not.”

  “You’re okay with it? You seem a bit on edge. And I don’t mean from all this other mess.”

  “Yes, Duncan. I’m okay. Best get ready for bed.”

  “I think I’ll take a quick shower. Want to join me?” he asked with a wink.

  Tempting, that’s what it was. Melanie almost jumped at the opportunity. “Not tonight.”

  “Good, let’s keep it open for another night.” He winked again, sure she would reconsider.

  Melanie started changing when she heard the shower water running. Her finger flicked at her lips over and over. How she wanted to join him. What was wrong with her? She had never felt this way about any man. They were married. But he would be leaving when all this was over. Her frustrations grew stronger. She had never been with a man so why in the world was this man creating this electric flow of sparks through her?

  “Melanie?” Nothing. “Melanie?”

  She turned. “W-What?” There in front of her, dripping, with little water beads decorating his chiseled tan chest was the statue of a Greek God. Wow. Had she just swallowed her tongue?