Chapter Twenty-Seven

Return To Santa Fe

"Thank you for calling to tell me. I agree, something needs to be done urgently. We'll talk again soon. I… Goodbye, Maria…" My breathing hitched as I replaced the receiver into its cradle with exaggerated care because my hand was trembling.

I felt both hollowed out and defeated. But I was also full of anger. I could hardly speak in my deepening disgust.

I turned away from the telephone and closed my hands into fists at my sides. Just when my life seemed to be on course to be everything I'd ever dreamed it could be - during all my loveless years of marriage to Ian Bridges - the blasted man was once more trying to drag me back into his web of lies and deceit.

He wasn't going to allow me to escape his clutches without a fight. But this time I was determined to be ready for him.

"Blast…" I felt my shoulders tense as if expecting a physical blow to fall.

Right then, when I most needed their unquestioning support, my husband and our son put their arms around my shoulders and pulled me close. I was drawn deep into the warmth and compassion of their tight embraces and the tears of anger and regret I'd been holding back began to flow.

"It will be all right. He won't win," Devon said against my ear. "We won't let him."

"He will regret doing this," my son added, smoothing the hair back from my forehead. "We'll make sure of that."

"But it's all so bloody well unfair!" I muttered crossly, dashing a hand across my wet cheeks. "That man cannot leave well enough alone!" I so badly wanted to hit something.

"I'll admit I thought we had him with the IRS audit," Devon admitted grimly, pulling back to look down at me. "But he appears to have more lives than a confounded alley cat."

"Like someone else we know," Edward concurred, frowning across at his father over my head. "We've managed to put that one down, who richly deserved it. It's time we applied our considerable resources to this second one."

"Yes…" Devon nodded slowly. "Michael found enough dirt on Bridges to warrant a full audit. If we can manage to gain access to his books, and whatever the IRS has uncovered about him…" He released me to stroke his chin thoughtfully.

"You're planning on hurting him, right?" I asked in a fierce whisper. "Something that will cripple him financially."

I put my arm around our son's waist. "I don't care what it takes or how much it costs," I continued evenly. "I want that man gone from our lives permanently." The two most important men in my life suddenly grinned at each other.

Edward nodded. "Oh, I think that could be arranged."

"Consider it done," Devon added. "We'll start tonight."

"Good…" I looked from one to the other. "Just don't leave me out of the fun. I want to know everything."

"Always…" Devon took me by the shoulders and kissed my forehead. "We're going to make him rue the very day he was born…"

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"We'll need to coordinate a plan of attack that he won't see coming," Devon stated as he sat down on the couch next to me. "We must neutralise whatever hold he imagines he still has over you, Carolyn. It's the only way to beat him at his own game. By harassing those you love, he thinks he holds all the cards."

"Yes, I have to agree with you…" I nodded slowly, knowing my love was right. "Maria said I wasn't to worry. That she can handle him. But I know she was lying. I could hear it in her voice. She's worried for me and what Ian might do now."

I took my love's hand between both of mine and carried it to my lips. I hated the whole idea of having to deal with my ex-husband once again.

But he'd left us with no choice. I would not have him thinking he could go on upsetting Maria just to get back at me for his own selfish ends. He needed to be stopped before he went too far.

It was now late in the evening, and the sweet enjoyment we'd gained from the informal gathering for our first family barbeque had evaporated. Kat had quickly made her excuses and left us soon after Maria's call. I collected my notebook and pen from the garden. I went upstairs to our bedroom to put them away in my writing desk. For now, I had no further need of them of more about the Captain's story. It was a pity, but I couldn't help it.

When I came down again, I barely noticed what the others were doing. I was so angry with Ian I couldn't think straight. The menacing and vengeful man just couldn't leave well enough alone. Of course, he wanted to occupy my thoughts. I detested him anew for that.

Devon had made me a cup of strong black coffee and then left me with it at the outside table while he and Edward took charge of tidying up the backyard and cleaning down the grill. Afterwards, Bonnie went with RC to drive Stevie home with the baby. They knew there had been some fresh trouble with Ian, but they were helpless to do anything but offer their moral support.

I looked around the living room. Now, only Edward and the core members of Knight Investigations remained to make our plans about how to deal with Ian Bridges and his poisonous reach. I felt restless and eager to get even with him as soon as I could. Simmering rage warmed my blood, sending away the chill shock from Maria's unexpected and worrying phone call.

"We need to hit him where it will hurt him the most," Michael commented hardly. "In his pride and his wallet. To him, his reputation is everything."

He was standing beneath the Captain's painting, with his hands clasped in the small of his back. "You have this place…"

He waved one hand around at the living room. "It's more than big enough for the two of you. Do you really need to keep the house in Santa Fe, as well?"

He raised a dark eyebrow in my direction. "I mean, it would be better to sell it and cut off that connection to him. That's if you're willing to agree."

"The house was a part of our divorce settlement, but it was never my home," I replied honestly. "Ian bought it with the proceeds of his first big sale. I've only kept it going for Maria's sake. She couldn't afford to buy a house of her own and she's lived there for so many years. It has been her home for as long as I've known her."

"I've been thinking about that," Edward commented slowly, as he paced the room. "I know she's always said she would never go and live with any of her children. She's been adamant about that. She's never wanted to be a burden to anyone. Her pride wouldn't allow it."

He stopped walking and looked up. "But would she agree to move out to LA and live with you here? This house is certainly big enough."

"I've been thinking about that all afternoon. There is that whole, fully equipped guest level in the basement that we don't use," I replied slowly, feeling my way. "It has its own entrance and Maria could come and go as she pleases. I know how much she values her independence and it has everything she would ever need. And this house is the home I've always dreamed of. I feel safe, here."

I gasped softly as I was momentarily distracted by that now familiar brush of moving air across the back of my neck. I frowned as I put up one hand to its touch almost absently. "I'm willing to ask Maria. All her children are grown and have spread out across the country, so New Mexico holds no ties for her now. This afternoon, I got the impression that she's feeling lonely but she wasn't going to admit it."

Without thinking, I glanced across at the Captain's portrait and I could have sworn his painted blue eyes were now watching me. They stared back at me with more life in them than any painted eyes should have. Their frowning gaze had always been austere and forbidding, but now they appeared to brim with stern approval. I shook my head in disbelief, wondering if I was slowly losing my grip on reality.

Edward shrugged and smiled. "Maria often said that all she'd ever asked from life was never to be cold. That's why she'd never agree to come and live with me in Boston. I will say that I miss her fabulous cooking."

"Well, the idea of her coming to live in the guest suite is a masterstroke," Devon approved. "If you can get her to agree. We are going to need someone living here long term, to look after the place when we're away. It seems an ideal solution to have someone you know and trust."

His lips quirked. "But we've already had a good sampling of her stubbornness when she fell and broke her arm earlier this year. What if she refuses to come out here to live?"

I turned from my close contemplation of the Captain's painting. "We'll just have to make our offer so attractive she cannot refuse. She does delight in mothering me when she can get away with it. That would be an incentive."

"Well, getting even with Ian will be high on her to-do list," Edward reassured me as he bent down to hug me tightly. "This time, we need to make his removal from your life, permanent. "It's a pity we don't have enough proof of harassment for a permanent court order to be issued."

"Yes. But so far, he hasn't done anything illegal that we know of," Michael reasoned. "Nothing we can pin on him, anyway. He's been harassing Maria from the safety of public property. She told you he hasn't once tried to enter the house or in any way overstep any legal boundaries."

"But he has interfered with the delivery of the mail," Edward replied seriously. "That's a federal offence that comes with up to six months in jail."

"Yes…" Devon shook his head regretfully. "But sadly, a tenuous connection, at best. Bridges would lie his way out of it and what proof do we have? Maria said her son had only caught him that once, snooping in the mailbox. He denied everything, then. He can afford to hire a good lawyer."

"Excuse me…" Kitt commented quietly from the open doorway to the garden. "I couldn't help overhearing your various conversations this afternoon. I am sorry you have been placed in such an awkward situation, Mrs Miles. If there is anything I can do to help…"

"Please, don't apologise…" I shifted my position to face him. "And I've already told you that my name is Carolyn."

"Carolyn…" Kitt's single moving red eye glowed with pleasure. "Thank you. I will remember from now on."

"Do you have an opinion to offer?" Michael asked as he walked to perch on the end of the couch next to me and faced the Trans Am. "We had thought that dealing with a full audit by the IRS was enough to keep the man quiet for some time. He has a few skeletons he's been very eager to hide."

"Yes, he has. I have been making some inquiries into that matter this afternoon," Kitt replied evenly. "Ever since I became aware of the man's unwelcome re-emergence in your lives. It seems Ian Bridges has been made privy to who reported him to the revenuers. But he nurses the belief that Carolyn is at the bottom of all his financial troubles. Therefore, he seeks to include her in the twisted web of his lies and do her as much damage as he can."

I sighed roughly. "I wish I'd never married him…" I shook my head. "But then I wouldn't have Lucy or Danny."

"I understand." Kitt's single red eye moved thoughtfully. "If Ian Bridges can reduce you to that level of perceived misery then he will feel better about himself. Remember, your divorce was at your instigation, not his. He still sees you as unfinished business and he hates you for it. I fear he is becoming quite unbalanced."

"I would prefer it if he didn't think of me at all," I replied sharply. "I would be content if he didn't think about me ever again."

"It's time for Kitt and I to go on a road trip back to New Mexico," Devon replied, as he turned his hand within my grasp and gripped my fingers. "Maria must know she has our full support and we need to offer it in person. Ian Bridges needs to be taught a lesson he will never forget."

He glanced at our son. "I am sorry it had to come to this. I had hoped we could spend our time together getting to know each other better."

"Please, don't apologise…" Edward quickly waved one hand. "I'm only sorry it's taken this long to deal with the man properly. He's been a malignant cancer in Mum's life for far too long. He needs to know, once and for all, that she's done with him before he creates more damage with his mischief."

He grinned hardly. "For that reason, I'm coming with you. There's no way you're leaving me behind here, twiddling my thumbs, and wondering how you're getting on."

"Well, you're not leaving me out of this, either." Michael got to his feet and held up his wrist with the comms link. "Since you're taking my car, anyway. I've got a lot riding on dealing with that man, as well. No one thumbs their nose at me and gets away with it. Bonnie and RC will just have to make the best of it for a few days. I'm overdue for some vacation time. Stevie's already given her blessing for whatever we decided to do."

"All right," I stated with decision, looking at each of them in turn. "If you're all going, then I'm not being left behind, either. This is my fight as much as anyone's." I raised my chin and stared at them, daring any one of them to disagree. "Don't forget, I was married to the man."

"Very well. How soon can you all get packed?" Devon asked softly, smiling at me with deep admiration in his blue eyes. "We'd better plan on leaving first thing in the morning if we're going to make it by nightfall."

"I shall make sure everything is in readiness," Kitt said. "I shall do an in-depth analysis into Mr Bridges business overnight. I will brief you all on the way to Santa Fe."

"Thank you…" I nodded to Kitt before I turned back to Devon. I raised his hand to my lips again. "This time we will make it count. And Maria will know she's not alone anymore."

I glanced back at the Captain's painting. The painted blue eyes seemed to be lifeless once more. But I had the confusing impression they were still watching me…

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We drove out of Montecito before dawn and into Santa Fe just as the sun was setting. The great ball of light painted everything it touched with streaks of gold fading into rich amber as we finally turned into the front driveway of Carolyn's house. Given Kitt's ability to drive at high speed, we'd made very good time, stopping only once for gas and something to eat.

I studied both sides of the quiet street carefully as Kitt silenced his engine. We hadn't telephoned Maria to tell her we were coming. We all thought it was better than the fewer people who knew, the better. We had no idea if Ian was anywhere in the vicinity, watching the house and waiting to intrude. It was what I would do if I was him.

Satisfied Carolyn's ex-husband was nowhere in sight, I glanced down at her beside me. She was curled up in the passenger seat and had been sleeping for the last hundred miles or so. I hesitated to wake her. I knew my love was tired and worried about encountering Ian again, despite the brave face she'd put on her insistence over joining us in our quest.

"Come on, you two…" I said quietly as I eased my door open and got out.

Edward and Michael quickly followed me out into the dry warmth of the desert evening. I couldn't help smiling. Both men were tall and the cramped back seat of the Trans Am was not known for its roominess.

"Remind me to buy something bigger in the next life," Michael grumbled, stretching out his long frame toward the stars. "And I'm driving back to LA when we leave again."

He grinned at me. "You can take your turn in the back seat."

"If I may point out, you have all been delivered in excellent time," Kitt replied a little miffily. "Once you have retrieved your bags from my trunk, I shall park further down the street so I do not arouse any unwanted suspicions. You have the comms link, Michael. I will wait for you to call me."

Michael's grin widened at the terse reprimand. "You got it, buddy."

"Are we there yet?" I heard Carolyn ask drowsily just as the house lights suddenly flicked on in the porch and front driveway of the house.

I leaned into the open door of the car and smiled at her. "Yes, and I think we're about to get told off by one very angry-looking Mexican lady."

"Oh, dear…" Carolyn sat up and pushed open her door. "Maria? How are you? It's so wonderful to see you again."

"Why have you come all this way when I told you not to?" the housekeeper grumbled as she held the car door open for Carolyn to get out. "It's not that I'm unhappy to see all of you. But I've said I can handle Ian Bridges. He will never get the better of me. The less you see of him, the better I would feel."

She snapped her fingers angrily. "He is less than that to me."

Of course, she immediately smothered my love in a tight hug before turning her attention to Edward. He too received a fierce hug and a stern lecture.

"It's good to see you again, too." He grinned and took it, kissing her cheek soundly. "I've missed you and your cooking."

"Oh, you…" Maria buffeted him in the shoulder with a loving fist. She divided her frowning look between us.

"You'd better all come on inside." She turned to look up and down the street. "We don't know who's watching. I haven't seen anything of Ian for a couple of days."

She frowned at Kitt. "I'm sorry, but there's no room in the garage for this one. Can you park it away down the street somewhere, out of sight?"

"Don't worry. Kitt is well about to take care of himself," Michael reassured her as he and I retrieved our luggage from the trunk. "We'll call him when we need him again."

He held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Michael Knight. I work with Devon."

The housekeeper shook hands with him. "Maria Flores. Welcome to Santa Fe…"

She gasped when both of Kitt's doors closed and the car smoothly accelerated away down the street and turned the corner out of sight. Maria shook her head as she stared after the vehicle in bemusement. "Now I've seen everything…"

"Come on…" Carolyn encouraged, taking her arm. "Let's get inside out of sight. Then we'll tell you everything."

"All right…" Maria shrugged as she led the way into the house. "It is just as well I made some extra chilli and beans tonight. I must have known I was going to have company."

※※※※※

"You want to sell this house and move me all the way out to California to live with you?" Maria's eyebrows rose high at Mum's gently worded suggestion.

We had held a council of war in the roomy, fragrant kitchen and her fantastic chilli had been everything I remembered. I'd eaten more than my fair share. After dinner, we'd all retired to the living room to sit in front of the fire and drink some Mexican whisky while planning our next move.

Mum had obviously decided to tackle the thorniest item of business head-on. "You would be doing us both a very big favour," she replied quietly. "Our house in Montecito is a lot bigger than this one and we do need someone to live in and look after us. There's no one I would trust more than you."

Maria studied her closely. "I'll admit that rattling around in this big house, all by myself, hasn't been that much fun. My children are now all married and spread out across the country. I rarely see them and I miss them."

She lifted her shoulders, frowning down into her glass. "But I didn't want to worry you with my concerns. I didn't wish to phone you about Ian, but my son insisted that you needed to know. Of course, I never told him where you're living now. That is why he was snooping in the mailbox the other day."

"So, your moving out to live with us in Montecito wouldn't be entirely out of the question?" Mum asked softly, injecting just the right note of hesitation into her tone. "I mean, you wouldn't be alone, out there. But you would have your own apartment, of course. You would have everything just the way you like things."

I did my best not to smile. I wanted to say that my mother would have made a very good lawyer. But I knew when not to speak while she was keen to do all the talking. I settled deeper into my chair and watched the dancing flames in the fireplace.

Devon and Michael were also quiet, allowing Carolyn to conduct the delicate conversation at her own pace. Several long looks passed between them and me as we listened and watched my mother doing her best to convince her good friend about the strength of her reasoned argument.

It was her use of that wily old courtroom tactic that held my attention. You needed to make the witness think that whatever they did or said next was entirely their own decision. It required skill to make the time-honoured illusion work as it should.

My mind flicked back to Kat and my use of it with her that first day in her truck. Her soft beauty still tantalised and tempted me. "Chicken…" I whispered with a sigh.

She'd been very quick to excuse herself from yesterday's barbeque. She'd made small talk about maybe, one day, we would meet again. She'd obviously not been made aware I was staying in LA for another three weeks. I couldn't wait to see her expression when she eventually found out.

I saluted the flickering flames with my glass of whisky and took a long swallow. The fiery liquor burned a path down to my replete stomach and warmed my tired senses as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I was far too comfortable to think about moving...

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