Into Dust

But it had to be about money. He couldn’t imagine what other demand his father might make, but then again, if Tom Durand was behind this, he never really knew his father.

Ahead, he could see T.D. Enterprises Inc.’s main building. He pulled the pickup over to the curb.

Cassidy sat looking out into the darkness of the warehouse district. “This is where we’re going?”

Jack felt jumpy, nerves like live wires under his skin. He feared what they were going to find. Worse, he felt as if he were getting Cassidy even deeper into this mess. Not to mention the lies he was telling by omission. When she found out... He couldn’t worry about that now. “The office is on the top floor. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

She nodded, her voice breaking when she spoke. “I’m good.” She wiped her hands on her skirt as if like his, they were sweating. That she was trying to act unafraid made him like her even more.

But as he climbed out, he couldn’t help but worry. This could go so badly. As they walked through the dark toward the hulking building, though, he wondered if this wasn’t merely a wild-goose chase. His father was too smart to leave anything for him to find. But then again, if his father really was on Catalina Island in the Pacific, he might not know that things had gone wrong yet. Ed might have put off calling him.

Also, if his father really was miles away, he hadn’t been able to come back here and hide anything he might have forgotten. There was a chance that Tom Durand thought he had nothing to worry about when he’d left for LA.

All it required at the back door of the facility was a sleight of hand in the dark. Cassidy hadn’t seemed to be paying that much attention anyway as he palmed his key and pretended to pick it up from a ledge near the door.

She was looking up at the fifth floor. He followed her gaze. A light was on—one they hadn’t been able to see from the street.

Was it possible his father had lied about being on a boat on his way to Catalina Island? He didn’t know why that surprised him—if true—since being a liar could be the least of his father’s deceit.

CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_8b10384d-d674-5960-b336-2a50de049fe1)

CASSIDY FOLLOWED JACK into the huge old building. For a while, this had seemed a game. The new haircut, the clothes, the disguise, being with this Texas cowboy. Now, though, it felt way too real. She’d done her best to forget about what had almost happened to her earlier on the street.

But the memory was still there, ambushing her when she least expected it. Like right now. She suddenly felt vulnerable. What was she doing here with a man whom, until a few hours ago, she’d never laid eyes on before?

She couldn’t help questioning herself as their footfalls echoed through the emptiness of what appeared to be a warehouse. She’d always been too trusting. She hugged herself as their footfalls echoed through the hulking building.

There were huge containers and wooden crates everywhere. Only dim after-hours lights lit their way. They wound through them to a door marked STAIRS. The stairwell had even less light and a funky old-building smell.

“You’re sure there’s no one here?” she asked in a whisper as she heard something clank overhead.

“We’re about to find out. But I think it’s probably just old plumbing.”

Old plumbing? Wondering what she’d gotten herself into, she followed him up the stairs to the fifth floor, where he pushed open the door cautiously and peered around it. Her heart in her throat, she listened and heard nothing.

“Come on.” Jack stepped into the empty hallway and she followed. All the doors were closed except for one at the far end of the hall where the light was on. That door was partially open, a few inches of light spilling out into the hallway.

Cassidy grabbed Jack’s hand, stopping him. “There’s someone in there.”

He shook his head and motioned for her to follow quietly.

She hadn’t realized that she’d been holding her breath until they reached the office to find it empty. The light apparently had been left on by accident. Either that or the person was in the building and would be returning soon.

* * *

JACK MOVED QUICKLY to his father’s desk. He was about to open one of the drawers when he spotted the plaque sitting on the desk with his father’s name printed on it. There was also a photo of him and his father from a fishing trip they’d taken years ago.

He glanced at Cassidy. She’d come part way into the room and now stood looking around nervously. He quickly turned the plaque and photo facedown and began opening the drawers.

The top drawer had nothing interesting in it. Nor did several of the other drawers. His father fortunately was very organized, so it made the search easier. When he got to the bottom drawer, he found it locked—just as he remembered.

“How did you know there wasn’t anyone here?” Cassidy asked. She’d moved over to a wall of photographs. He felt his pulse jump in concern until he realized they were all snapshots of his father with dignitaries, politicians and even one with the latest president.

“No cars outside. Nor did I see anyone moving around up here.” He opened the middle drawer, hoping to find the key. No such luck. “I could have been wrong, though.” He shrugged when she turned to look at him.

“Find anything?”

“The bottom drawer is locked. I’m going to have to break the lock.”

She raised a brow at that.

He had hoped to get in and out quickly and not leave any evidence that he’d been here. Reconciled, he quickly stepped to the door and closed it. His father had hired a security firm that checked the building several times during the night. They came by at midnight and 3:00 a.m. Jack glanced at his watch. It was only a little after eleven.

Back at the desk, he took his father’s letter opener and began to pry at the lock. Cassidy, he noticed, had moved to another wall of photos. For a moment, Jack worried that his father might have a snapshot of him. But apparently he didn’t have to worry.

The lock finally gave and he pulled open the drawer, surprised to find it held only one item—a large metal box. He took it out, a little taken aback by how light it was. If his father kept a little spare money in here, it wasn’t much. Something inside it gave a metallic rattle. Like the drawer, the box was locked.

“Did you hear that?” Cassidy said, suddenly next to him.

He hadn’t heard anything but the noise he’d been making himself. He listened for a moment. This time it definitely wasn’t the old plumbing. He knew the sound of the old freight elevator only too well. It banged and clanked and whined. Which meant someone had pressed the button on the ground floor and was now on his way up.

Jack tried to gauge if they had time to make a run for it. Unfortunately, the stairwell was at the opposite end of the hall. He couldn’t take the chance.

He quickly closed the drawer with the broken lock. With luck, whoever it was wouldn’t notice—assuming this office was where they were headed. It hit him that if his father had been lying about where he was, he would be the one coming up here right now.

The elevator came to a noisy stop, the doors groaning open. An instant later, Jack heard the sound of heavy footfalls headed in their direction.

* * *

SARAH OPENED HER eyes and stretched, surprised to find herself lying on the couch. Her body ached as if she’d been curled up in the fetal position for a very long time.

“How do you feel?” Dr. Venable’s voice was soft and soothing. He had put the pendulum away. She had the feeling that time had passed, but she couldn’t remember it passing.

She nodded, not wanting to speak, just wanting to stretch and breathe. Her headache was gone and she was thankful for that. Remembering it, though, she recalled that he had promised to restore her memory. She sat up abruptly.

“Easy,” he said. “You might feel a little dizzy.”

She searched her memory. She couldn’t even remember how she’d gotten from a chair at the table to this couch.

“You are going to give yourself a headache if you try to remember everything at once. Take it slow. Start here.” He handed her the photographs again.

“I already told you. I don’t know those people.” At his insistence, she took the snapshots again. She knew the headache was only an instant away if she kept trying so hard to remember even the simplest things. She closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them, she glanced down at the top photo and felt shock ricochet through her.

It was a candid shot of a handsome young man. His name came to her in an instant. Joe Landon. She felt her heart do a bump against her ribs. Her mouth went dry and she couldn’t speak. The memories swept over her. Tangled sheets, bodies damp with sweat, skin dimpling as a breeze stirred the curtains and washed over their nakedness.

The memories brought goose bumps that raced over her as she recalled the feel of her long-lost lover’s warm flesh against hers.