One thing Travis knew about his father was that his instincts were infallible. If he thought there was something wrong, there was. In the last four years there’d been a hundred times when Travis had wanted to say there was nothing wrong, that no one was trying to put one over on him. Travis couldn’t help thinking that if he screwed up, his father would let him out of his devil’s deal. But he knew that wouldn’t happen.
Randall knew when he was pushing his son too far. “Give me this morning and you can take a couple of weeks off.”
Travis was silent as he thought that his father knew him too well. But then, Randall Maxwell was a brilliant judge of character. Many years ago he’d rightly judged that Miss Lucy Jane Travis would be too afraid of him to do anything but comply with whatever he told her to do.
“Take three weeks off,” Randall said. “This deal will take that long. Just figure out what they’re trying to put over on me in this contract and you’re free.”
The last thing Travis wanted was to leave his father in anger or suspicion. The rage would come later when Travis helped his mother in the divorce. “Send the contract to me.”
“There’s a man waiting outside your door now,” Randall said.
Travis couldn’t see his father’s smile of triumph, but he felt it. The only thing in life that really mattered to the man was winning.
It had been two in the afternoon before Travis got away. He’d wanted to call his mother and tell her he was coming, but he didn’t have a throwaway phone, and he didn’t dare use his cell.
In the end, the second he finished with the contract, he left. He called his father from the car. “That old man is as big a crook as you are,” Travis said. “Page 212, last paragraph, says that if you don’t agree to his terms you’re in default and the company goes back to him.”
“Terms?” Randall shouted. “What terms?! What’s he talking about?”
“I have no idea. You’ll have to ask old man Hardranger that.”
“You have to—”
“No I don’t,” Travis said. “Get Forester to find out what the old man wants. Or sic Penny on him. Anybody but me. See you in three weeks,” he said, then clicked off the phone. “Or not,” he added.
It was difficult for Travis to imagine that possibly—maybe—he was about to get out from under his father’s thumb. If his mother had had enough time to get up her courage to actually go through a divorce, Travis would be free.
The thought made him smile for most of the drive down to Edilean.
It was eight o’clock on a Saturday night, and as far as he could tell, the town was dead. Every store was closed, no all-night drugstore, no one sauntering by walking a dog. All in all, he thought the little town with its old buildings was a bit eerie, rather like a sci-fi B movie where all the inhabitants had been abducted by aliens.
It wasn’t easy finding Aldredge Road, but when he saw the sign he smiled more broadly. He knew Kim didn’t live on the road but her relatives did, and the ancestral home, Aldredge House, was there.
But Aldredge House wasn’t where he was going. His mother had rented an apartment in the home of Mrs. Olivia Wingate, which was just behind where Kim’s cousin lived. Travis’s original plan was to arrive there in the afternoon and see his mother. Since he didn’t want anyone knowing who she was or who he was, he planned to park along the road and call her on the cell phone Penny had sent him that morning. After he’d seen her and made sure she was all right, he’d find a hotel.
He hadn’t changed his plan, but it was growing dark and he didn’t like her walking out alone. He’d have to meet her close to the house.
Travis was thinking about this as he drove down the tree-lined road when a big teenager wearing a yellow reflective vest and carrying a flashlight stepped out of the bushes in front of him. As Travis slammed on the brakes, he thanked his years of race car driving for his quick reflexes.
There was a tap on his window and another kid was motioning for him to put down the window.
“You wanta slow down, mister?” the boy said. “There are kids around here, and besides, people are leaving. Park over there by the Ford pickup.”
“Park?” Travis said. “I wasn’t planning on going to—” He didn’t finish, as he didn’t want to tell anyone his business. He could hear music and see lights through the trees to the left. It looked like there was a party going on. Travis thought of turning around and leaving, but there was a car behind him. A U-turn would draw too much attention to himself.
“You take any longer, mister, and the place will be empty. You already missed the wedding cake,” the kid said.
“Yeah, sure,” Travis said and pulled in beside the truck. Wedding? he thought and couldn’t help grimacing. Was it Kim who was getting married? After all, it was the Aldredge House so it could be.
As he got out, he put his hand up to block the light from the next car, and also to hide his face.
A very large man was standing outside a truck that unless Travis missed his bet, had been revved up to illegal street use. He was looking at Travis as though trying to figure out who he was.
“You with the bride?” he asked as he opened the door to help his pregnant wife out.
“Colin!” she said. “You’re off duty now, so stop interrogating people.” She looked at Travis. “Welcome to Edilean,” she said, “and please go inside. Let’s hope there’s some champagne left. Not that I’ll be having any.”
“Sure, thanks,” Travis said.