A Face in the Shadows

“Patch and Daisy. They’ve been with me since I came back.”

“Watchdogs?”

He nodded. “Sort of. And for companionship.” At her raised brow, he added, “They’re loyal and unassuming. They don’t expect much from me. And they rarely talk back when I’m musing out loud.”

She mumbled sweet nothings to the two animals, winning them over completely, then watched as they moved past her to the open doors out onto the terrace. Spinning back around toward Parker, she said, “Is this where you work?”

“This is it,” he said, suddenly feeling as unsure as she seemed. So he just stood there with one hand resting on his cane, watching as she moved around the big room. He enjoyed the way her eyes grew wide with each new discovery, the way she smiled as she touched an artifact or read over some of his framed original comic strips.

Then she lifted her chin, listening to the soft music playing through carefully hidden speakers. “You always did like Mozart.”

He was surprised but pleased that she remembered. “Helps me to relax.”

She turned at his desk and the sight of her centered there amongst his most intimate possessions did something crazy to his heart. All of his circuits were going into overload. Telling himself he just wasn’t used to company or such interesting distractions, he took his time enjoying this surprise visit. Then he remembered his manners. “I’ll go get that drink? Water or coffee?”

“Water sounds good.”

“Be right back.”

“Can I come?” she asked. “I mean, I’d love to see your kitchen.” Then she giggled. “I guess I’d love to see the entire house.”

He nodded, his heart twisting with a painful kind of joy. Kate was here in his house and he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

In the end, she put him at ease in that Kate way he remembered. She laughed and chatted and commented on his expensive cooking pots and gourmet kitchen.

“I can’t cook,” she explained with a shrug. “Thank goodness for the microwave.”

Parker didn’t tell her that he enjoyed cooking and was pretty good at it. Maybe one night he’d have Brandon and her over for a good meal. Maybe. He’d been considered a nerd in college, so he didn’t want to come off as one now.

He handed her the mineral water in a crystal goblet with a twist of lime. “Here you go.”

“Wow, fancy.”

He lowered his head, mentally kicking himself for showing off. But then, he had crystal goblets now. Might as well use them for company. Of course, he was also blowing any chance he had of seeming macho, either.

“I think you’re the first,” he said to cover his discomfort.

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“My first official guest.”

“You’re kidding, right? How long have you lived here?”

“A few years.”

“And you haven’t had any guests?”

“My sister and her family come for visits now and then, but no one from…the old days.”

“Probably good right now,” she said, sipping her water.

“You mean with all that’s going on?” He shrugged.

“I do get the local paper.”

“Yes.” Her expression shifted from quizzical to wary.

“It’s just horrible—Trevor finding that body, then we find out it’s Josie Skerritt. That, and all of this point-shaving business with Professor Rutherford and the basketball team. Then Cassie’s brother, Scott, being found dead because he was investigating it—well, it’s really put a damper on things around the college campus.”

Parker remembered reading about the point-shaving scandal at the college. Apparently Cassie’s brother, Scott, a local reporter, had stumbled across a point-shaving scheme involving the basketball team years ago, one that had caused Scott to have an accident when he was playing. It had ruined his hopes for an NBA career. Scott’s sister, Cassie, and a professor named Jameson King had broken the case but hadn’t solved Scott’s murder.

Did he see a question looming in her pretty eyes? Did she remember that he and Josie had been close once? “Have they gotten any new leads yet?”

“Not that I know of,” she said, her finger tracing the delicate design of the goblet. “I guess you’ve heard about as much as me. They’re worried now about the baby, since they haven’t found anything to indicate the baby died with her. We’re trying to find our own answers. That’s why we’re trying to track down everyone. Steff and Dee are cooperating with the police on the PR. There’s an alumni Web site set up to track our class—”

“Is that why you’re here?” Parker asked, his insides going cold. “Did one of your friends or the police send you to get information?”

“No,” she said, shock registering on her face. “Parker, honestly, I was just trying to catch you up on things.” Slamming her glass down, she said, “And no, that’s not why I’m here. But this is silly, so never mind, just never mind, okay?”

She turned to leave, but he caught her arm with one hand. “Kate, hold on.” He put down his lukewarm coffee then turned toward the hallway. “Let’s go sit by the pool and you can tell me the real reason you’re here.”

She followed him in silence, but Parker had to wonder if she’d come here on some sort of fishing expedition. Did she think he might know something about that body? Was that the favor she needed—to get information out of him for the police or her sorority sisters? But then, the police had questioned him just as they’d questioned everyone, and they knew where to find him.

He waited as she sank onto a white wrought-iron chair, then he sat down across from her, propping his feet on a matching table. Trying not to wince as pain hit his leg again, he said, “Okay—I’m done with the niceties, and I’m sorry if I seemed rude. What kind of favor do you need?”

He hated the hurt expression on her face. At first, she just looked at him as if she hoped to figure him out. Then she said, “I guess I shouldn’t have come here. I should have taken the hint when you didn’t call me back. It’s obvious you don’t want to be bothered.” She stood up. “I’d better just go.”

Parker stood, too. “No, sit down, please. I said I’m sorry if I was rude earlier, but I have some pretty obsessive fans and you have to admit you went to extreme measures to get to me. But you’re here now, so talk.”

She looked embarrassed. “I was desperate.”

He rubbed a hand down his chin. “Oh, that sure makes me feel better.”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way,” she replied, her blush becoming. “I—It’s for Brandon.”

Parker gently pushed her back into her chair, his entire stance changing. “What do you need?”

Her expression changed, too, at that simple statement. “You like children, don’t you? I mean, you must since you write comic books geared toward children. And your characters are so vivid, so…inspiring. The lessons in your stories are universal and simple, but good examples.”

He did like children, but more importantly, he liked Kate, and now that he knew this favor involved Brandon, he really wanted to help her son. And he appreciated that she got his story methods, that she’d even read his stuff. But he wasn’t used to people reaching out to him unless they needed something from him. And apparently, Kate needed something pretty badly.

So, to hide his own treacherous feelings, he turned abrupt again. “Get to the point, Kate.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Please?”

She sighed, then crossed her legs. “Brandon’s birthday is in a few weeks and we’ve been trying to plan something fun and different. You see, his daddy stayed in Nashville and well, Dexter isn’t the most dependable man in the world. He’s already called to tell me he won’t be able to come the weekend of the party. Brandon was so disappointed.”

Parker sat still, his fingers templed together over his lap as he thought about what it was like, not having a father around. He certainly knew that feeling. He also knew all about disappointment. Disappointment and disgrace sliced through him each time he reached for a cane. “What can I do?”

She looked at him then, really looked at him, her eyes so full of thankfulness and gratitude, Parker almost hated the light shining in them. He’d never want to disappoint Kate.

But her next request was going to make him have to do that very thing. Even as he listened to her soft plea, Parker knew he’d never have the courage to help her. He was still so afraid of letting her down, of being that disgrace he’d always known he was.

“What do you want?” he asked again, his voice low.

“Well, Brandon wants to have his party here in your yard, but I know that’s out of the question. So I was just wondering if you could at least make an appearance at the party instead. It would mean so much to Brandon. He has all your comic books and most of your toy characters, too. But to have you there at his party, well, I don’t think anyone could top that. Would you be able to come for just a little while maybe?”

Parker sat there with the sun shining down on his face, with the woman he so often thought about sitting across from him asking him this one simple request, and felt his world shifting. He didn’t want to turn her down, but he had to. He wasn’t ready for that kind of exposure, that kind of public scrutiny.

So he looked directly into her eyes and decided it would be better to hurt her now than to wait for her to hurt him later. “I’m afraid I can’t help you, Kate. I’m sorry, but the answer is no.”

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