Chapter Eight

  Ali froze at the knock on the door. When the knocking continued, she tossed the shirt she was holding onto the bed and went to the foyer. Then she stopped. The hammering of her heart made it impossible for her to breathe.

  “Ali?” Kendra’s voice was muffled through the closed door, but it was full of concern.

  She tried to breathe enough air into her already straining lungs, but something was crushing her chest. Reaching for the knob, she swung the door open.

  “Hey, I was getting…” Kendra dropped the packages on the floor and put her arm around Ali’s shoulders. “Are you all right?” She led her to the nearest chair and helped her to sit.

  Ali nodded, but she had no idea if she was or not. She lowered her head to her hands and tried to concentrate on breathing in and out, while Kendra rubbed her back.

  “Calm down.” The weight of Kendra’s hand eased.

  Footsteps in the building’s hallway receded. Panic gripped her throat. Ali shot up out of the chair, swung the door closed and locked it. When she turned and leaned back against the door, Kendra stood in the doorway with a glass of water, staring at her.

  “I’m sorry.” Ali shook her head.

  Kendra handed her the glass. “Come on, sit down.” She led Ali to the couch and sat down on the coffee table to face her. “Take deep breaths. Did something happen?”

  “No…I don’t know… I guess I had a panic attack.” The cool water soothed her dry throat and made talking easier, though she was still short of breath.

  “You have to get a grip.”

  She wiped the tears from her face and nodded. “I know. I need to get away from all of this for a while.”

  “Maybe you should go away for a few days.”

  “Yeah.” She looked over to be sure the door was still locked and went to pick up the packages Kendra had dropped. “I was actually packing when you knocked.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have called first.” She followed Ali to the kitchen.

  “No.” Ali shook her head and opened the drawer. Taking out two spoons, she put the ice cream on the table and sat down. “It’s not your fault. You’re welcome anytime. My nerves are just pretty much shot.”

  “Do the police have any new information?” Kendra sat, helping herself to the other spoon. She dug into the ice cream container along with Ali.

  “No, not that I know of.”

  “So, where are you going?”

  Ali told her about Anonymous and Joe. “I need to get away for a few days, and I’m sure it’ll be safe.”

  Kendra didn’t say anything. She simply stared at her friend, spoon suspended halfway between the ice cream container and her open mouth.

  Ali squirmed under the intense scrutiny. “Well?” She couldn’t wait any longer. “What do you think?”

  “Have you lost your mind?”

  “What?”

  “Have you talked to Mark about this crazy idea?”

  “It’s none of Mark’s business.” Her lips firmed into a taut line, and she dropped her spoon onto the table. Leaning back, she folded her arms and waited for Kendra’s argument.

  “All right, all right. Eat your ice cream. We’ll work this out. You’re right. You don’t need Mark’s permission to do anything. What about Ron?”

  Ali scowled. “What about him?”

  “I don’t mean ask for permission, but it couldn’t hurt to ask his opinion. If he thinks it’s safe, I’ll help you pack.” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Fine.” Ali grabbed the phone and dialed Ron’s number.

  He answered on the first ring. “Is everything okay?”

  Her attitude softened at the concerned tone. “Everything’s fine. I just want to run something by you.” She ran through the conversation she’d just had with Kendra, ending with the fact she was going to meet a stranger on a cruise for the weekend.

  “So, you’re saying you’ve been talking to some strange man on the Internet for a few days and now want to meet him on a cruise?”

  “Yes?” She kicked herself for the question mark that had crept into her answer. But perhaps Kendra and Ron were right; this might not be such a great idea after all. Disappointment surged through her.

  Ron’s laughter filled the silence. It started as a slight chuckle then escalated into a full-blown, deep belly laugh that had Ali joining him.

  When his laughter finally subsided, Ali was the first to speak. “Sorry. I guess it was a pretty stupid idea. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “On the contrary, I think it’s a great idea.”

  Ali pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. Was he serious? She glanced at Kendra, who was staring openly back at her, and put the receiver back to her ear. “You do?”

  “Yup. Go away and enjoy yourself. We’ll take care of everything here, and maybe things will be resolved by the time you get back.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” The unmistakable sound of laughter drifted through the line as she hung up.

  “What was all that about?” The confusion in Kendra’s expression mirrored Ali’s feelings.

  “He said it’s a great idea. I should go and have a good time.”

  “You’re kidding?” Clearly skeptical, Kendra pinned her with the “you’d better not be lying to me” gaze she usually reserved for her children.

  “No, I’m not.” She shrugged and dug back into her ice cream. “Oh well, let’s finish this up and go pack.” Relief flooded her as excitement replaced some of her earlier dread.

  * * *

  The phone rang, and Joe abandoned his last efforts at catching up with his paperwork.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s me.”

  He sat back and propped his feet on the desk. “Hi, Kelly. How’s Dad?”

  “He’s fine. Don’t worry, it’s only a few days. I promise to call if there’s a problem.”

  They’d had this conversation a hundred times already, but Joe was still uncomfortable. He spent another couple of minutes second guessing his decision to go away. Kelly waited patiently while he wrestled with his conscience. “Make sure—”

  “I know. Please. Stop worrying. Go. Have a good time.”

  “Thanks, Kelly.” He sighed. “I’ll talk to you when I get back, unless you need me.”

  “Have fun.”

  He hung up the phone, collected the paperwork he’d been trying to finish and put it away. There was no sense in keeping it out. He couldn’t concentrate on it anyway. Thoughts of Jane surfaced. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. What if he didn’t like her? She seemed nice enough online. He’d enjoyed talking to her and couldn’t remember the last time he’d talked to someone for that length of time, but what would she be like in person?

  He took a deep breath, glanced over at the clock and got up to leave. His bag was already packed and sitting by the door. Calmly, he grabbed his wallet and keys from the table and headed out the door. Placing the bag on the floor beside him, he turned to lock the door.

  “Oh, man, I almost forgot.” How could he forget something so important? That just went to show the chaotic state his mind was in. He ran back in, grabbed the gray envelope from his desk and tucked it under his arm. He would just drop it off on his way to the dock.

  Chapter Nine

  “Are you sure about this?” Kendra asked for the tenth time in the past minute.

  She’d changed her mind a million times over the past few days as she shopped and packed, reminding herself again and again this was just what she needed. Something spontaneous and thrilling. A change of pace that would take her mind off Mark. When the day finally came, she’d almost backed out again. “Yup, I’m sure. Thanks for driving me, Kendra. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  Ali looked around the dock. He could be any one of these men. How would she know?

  “There’s security on this ship, right?”

  Ali laughed as she pulled her bag from the trunk. “Relax. Everything will be fine. Even Ron thought it would be okay.”

  Suspicion shone in her friend’s eyes and she laughed again.

  She was surprised to realize how good she felt. She was excited. A tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she was determined to enjoy it. Giving Kendra a quick hug, she headed for the ship.

  Ali stood on the dock, looking at the ship. She had never been near a cruise ship before, and the enormity of it overwhelmed her. It was beautiful, but she couldn’t get past the size. Pushing aside her inhibitions, she boarded. It was time to move on, to do something exciting and unpredictable. She’d even left her comfortable sweats at home, packing instead a sexy negligee, just in case.

  She found her room, and stood in the doorway, astonished. She’d been thinking about this trip all week, trying to imagine what it would be like. Her wildest fantasies hadn’t prepared her for the reality. The room was beautiful, luxurious, more so than any hotel she’d ever stayed in. When she dropped her bag on the bed and turned, a hot tub sat in the corner. Her mouth fell open.

  After checking out the rest of the room, and waving goodbye to Kendra from the railing of the balcony, she went in search of her date. They’d agreed to meet in the dining room, where there’d be a crowd and she could feel safe. He told her she’d know him when she saw him but wouldn’t tell her how. So, she wandered through the room, enjoying the music, but too nervous to notice much else.

  Then she saw him. She only caught a glimpse of him through the crowded room. He was sitting with his back to her, but she had no doubt it was Joe. In the center of the table was a large vase filled with daffodils. She smiled and relaxed a little. This was going to be fine. He was a nice man, and she was going to spend the weekend getting to know him. Who knew if anything would come of it, but if nothing else, maybe they could be friends. Looking down, brushing imaginary lint from her skirt, she pushed her way through the sea of people to his table.

  When she reached him, though, and he turned to face her, the smile froze on her face. “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here?” Outrage poured off him. He stood, teeth clenched, staring daggers through her.

  “Yes, what are you doing here, ‘Joe’?” Sarcasm dripped from her icy words as she stood, arms crossed over her chest, indignantly tapping her foot, waiting for his answer.

  When he finally did respond, it was in the most unexpected way. He started to laugh. He laughed harder and harder, until she couldn’t help but join him. “How ridiculous is this?”

  “Pretty ridiculous,” she answered honestly.

  “Come on. Sit down, Ali. Have a drink.” He held the chair for her, and she sat, allowing him to order her drink.

  “So,” she started.

  “Ali, you look fantastic.”

  She looked into his deep brown eyes. He was being honest. “Thank you. So do you.” That was also the truth. He looked terrific.

  He sighed. “I have to ask, though, what do you think you’re doing, meeting up with some strange man you met online?” The twinkle in his eyes softened the words, and no spark of anger ignited.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” she countered, playfully. “Besides, I called Ron and he said he thought it was a good idea.”

  “That traitor.”

  “He knew.” The laughter she’d met with when she’d spoken to him suddenly made perfect sense.

  “I told him the other day I was going on a cruise with a woman I met online. He must have figured it out.” Their drinks arrived, and the waitress asked if she could get them anything else. When she left, they sat in silence for a few minutes. Ali looked around, trying to take in everything at once.

  “So, what do you want to do?” She bit her lower lip and waited for his answer.

  “Well, we’re both here.” He shrugged and smiled at her. “Why don’t we enjoy the cruise and see what happens.”

  She smiled, and when he returned the smile, she was lost. All of the pain washed away, as the vast amount of love she’d always felt for this man flowed through her.

  They enjoyed dinner and spent the evening talking and listening to each other as they had when they’d been dating. Before the routine of marriage, and the stress of life, had interfered. She couldn’t remember ever being so happy.

  * * *

  Mark couldn’t believe he was having such a great time. He watched Ali cross the room and couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was beautiful, had always been beautiful. Once she turned down the corridor and was out of sight, he headed in the other direction. He’d gotten rooms that were near each other, but not too close, wanting to make ‘Jane’ feel comfortable.

  He laughed. What were the chances of this happening? Well, considering he and Ali had obviously always been meant for each other, he guessed the chances were pretty good that being on the same site, they’d find each other.

  He unlocked the door to his room and went to get his jacket. Ali wanted a few minutes to freshen up and change before they went to sit on the deck. He pulled the cell phone from his pocket. Someone had some explaining to do.

  He poured a drink while he listened to the phone ring. On the fourth ring, Ron finally picked up. He was already laughing when he answered.

  “You think you’re funny, partner?” Good humor filled Mark. He hadn’t felt this happy and stress-free in a long time.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “How could you send her to meet a strange man she met online? What if it was a coincidence and it wasn’t me she was meeting?” He shivered, as the thought sent a chill up his spine.

  “Come on, now. Give me a little credit. First of all, what are the chances of that happening, both of you going on a cruise with someone you met online on the same weekend? And second of all, even though I don’t believe in coincidences, I still sent two of the security guys with her. They have the room next to hers.”

  “All right. I guess you’re forgiven.”

  “How’s it going?”

  Mark thought of Ali, pictured her sitting across from him, relaxed and smiling. “It’s good, Ron.”

  “Well it’s about time.” The older man chuckled. “I thought I was going to have to hit you over the head with something.”

  “Bye, Ron.” He’d been about to hang up, when Ron called to him.

  “Hey, wait.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I dropped the evidence bag with the death threat against Ali on your desk, do you still have it?”

  The question seemed casual enough, but Mark knew his partner too well, could hear the underlying concern in the other man’s voice. “I dropped it at the lab on my way out. Why? Has something else happened?”

  Ron cleared his throat, clearly reluctant to answer.

  “What’s going on?” Mark’s hand tightened on the phone. His heart rate kicked up while he waited for whatever bad news Ron was about to deliver.

  “We found the car that was used in the attempt to run Ali down.”

  Mark waited patiently through the hesitation.

  “Paul Cardone’s fingerprints are all over it.”

  “That’s impossible. Paulie’s still in prison.”

  “Nope. He got out a few months ago.”

  “Ali would have been notified.” Anger replaced some of the fear that had been filling him. Calvin and Ali had been the prosecutors on Cardone’s case. There’s no way they shouldn’t have been notified of his release. “What about Calvin?”

  “I’ve already talked to him. He didn’t know, but he hasn’t received any threats.”

  “He needs protection. You know Paulie will—”

  “It’s already taken care of. Don’t worry about it. Go enjoy some time with your wife, and let me worry about everything else. But, be careful.”

  “Yeah, thanks, Ron.” Paul Cardone was bad news. He’d been convicted of embezzlement, money laundering, smuggling and assault. They knew he was guilty of at least two murders but hadn’t found enough evidence to make the charges stick. They might have if one of their key witnesses hadn’t disappeared before he could testify, but…Mark shoved the phone into his pocket and hurried down the corridor in search of his wife.

  Chapter Ten

  Ali was still smiling as she unlocked the door and stepped into the room. She and Mark were going to be okay. They should never have let the stress of life interfere with their marriage. This whole experience with Anonymous had proven the connection between them was still there, still strong. They were still the same two people who had fallen in love all those years ago. It also showed her a little excitement didn’t hurt, maybe even spiced things up a bit. Her grin widened. They could make this work.

  For the first time, she realized they’d both been wrong. Mark for seeking fun elsewhere and her for giving up on them. Of course, Mark had been more wrong, but it was time to forgive.

  She flipped on the light, tossed her bag on the chair and dismissed thoughts of the past. It didn’t matter anymore. What did matter was their willingness to get to know each other again. She found the thought exciting and thrilling, and anticipation flowed through her.

  “Hello, Ali.”

  The blood that had just heated up turned to ice. She spun around. The intruder leaned back in a chair, his feet propped on the table, hands behind his head. The pose was deceptively casual until she looked into his eyes. Cold, nearly black eyes that bored straight through her.

  “Paulie, wh…what are you doing here?” Her mind raced frantically for a way out of the room.

  “We have some unfinished business. You and your buddy, Calvin, owe me.”

  “What are you talking about?” There was no way out. She was trapped. Mark would be headed toward her room any minute. She had to do something. Could she reason with this lunatic?

  “I spent ten years sitting in jail because of you two. I lost my business, my family, everything.” He dropped the front chair legs onto the floor and stood.

  “I’m sorry.” She had to buy some time, had to warn Mark, somehow.

  “Sorry? Sorry? What good does that do me?” His face was beet red, spit flying from his mouth.

 

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