“Thanks, Jane.”
“No problem, sweetie.”
I escorted her to the porch and watched as she headed back to the main house. She turned after a few steps.
“Oh. There’s one more thing. If you plan to go hiking or anything like that, check in with us so we can know. The trails are clearly marked and are very safe. But still, you can’t be too careful. We provide GPS and maps at the main house as well.”
“Thanks.”
“Enjoy, hon.”
After she had disappeared in the distance there was a peaceful quiet. Some leaves shivering in the wind, some birds singing in the branches. Other than that. Beautiful silence. I stood for a moment, enjoying the absence of city sounds and taking in the scenery around me. Jane’s mention of the hiking trails made me glad I had picked up my hiking boots at the last minute, even though I had not hiked in years. The last time had been on a weekend camping trip with?
I swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in my throat. Memories of that first time I went away with Zade rose up before me. I pushed them aside hastily.
“Get it together, Sapphire. Don’t let them intrude. They are the reason you had to run away in the first place. Don’t let them mess up your little peace right now.”
I headed inside and put away the groceries in the refrigerator. I left a frozen pizza out for dinner and changed out of my travel clothing.
The next morning when I woke up to silence, it hit me that I was free, if even for a few days. I had taken a few books with me and for the first time in years, I was able to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes of reading. I became so engaged I found that I spent most of the first two days in the hammock on the porch, voraciously devouring pages of novels, taking a break only to eat or answer the call of nature. By day three, I felt the stress begin to leave my body. I decided to take Jane up on her recommendation of a hike and so, shortly after breakfast, I presented myself for accountability at the main house. With my backpack filled with water and snacks, and armed with a map and GPS, I set out on one of the trails. I was sorry I had not taken my camera. The scenery was beautiful.
When I returned that afternoon, my body ached in a good way. I discovered muscles I had not used in years and they were not averse to making their presence felt. I committed to finding more time to do more of this. I stopped at the main house to return the GPS and map before trudging back to my cabin. My mind started to spin out ideas for a committee retreat. I could see us camping out here one weekend in the fall in one of the bigger cabins. It was an idea I would pitch when we had our next meeting.
I showered, grateful for the hot water as it eased the ache in my sore muscles. Tonight, I felt like having soup and in a few minutes, the aromatic liquid was simmering on the fire. I heard thunder rolling in the distance as a summer storm brewed. By the time the lightning began flashing and the first fat drops of rain plopped to earth, I was snuggled up with my laptop which I had tethered to my phone for the internet.
I finished my soup and retreated to the bed with the laptop, falling asleep to the sound of the rain and the drone of the mechanical laughter from the comedy in the background.
The next morning, the air felt crisp and there was a cleanliness to it that could only be achieved after a storm. The ringing of my phone interrupted my thoughts. I frowned at the strange number.
“Hello?”
A few moments later, I turned as white as a sheet. Without hesitation, I raced inside to pack. Within the hour, I was heading back to the city, my heart in my mouth.
Chapter 44
ZADE
Iwasn’t exactly delighted to receive Sapphire’s message, and did actually entertain the thought of rushing to her apartment and cutting her off at the pass, but rationality prevailed. Obviously, she needed time to figure things out, and I would give it to her.
I needed time to sort my head out too.
I was quickly becoming utterly and completely obsessed with her. She thought I was using her for sex. Little did she know I was crazy, actually insanely crazy, about her. More than I had ever been. She was all I thought about day and night. I was even having trouble concentrating on work, and work had always been my oasis of peace. No matter what was going on in my life I could slip into the immutable, unchangeable world of numbers and codes and forget my troubles even existed. I was just trying really hard to do that when, any hope I could return into my safe world and forget her even momentarily, flew out of the window.
Sandy brought in my mail.
She had placed an A4 envelope marked PERSONAL in Sapphire’s handwriting on the top of the pile. For a second, I was too stunned to react. Then, I snatched it up, tore it open… and froze.
What the fuck?
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
I put the photograph on the desk and stared at it incredulously. Sothiswas the proof of infidelity Sapphire kept referring to. Clearly, I had not paid enough attention to her claims. Not only had I been too consumed with my own plans of revenge for Randy, but I had also made the mistake of dismissing her accusations as another facet of her jealous nature. In my defense I had good reason. When we first met, more than once, she had harbored feelings of insecurity and expressed unfounded suspicions about women I barely even realized were in my vicinity.
I stared at the photo curiously.
Was it a fake? CGI? If it was photoshop it was excellently done. I picked it up and peered closer. No, it was not a fake. The photo was of such high resolution I could even see the pores on my skin. I stared at the naked woman entwined with my naked body. Nope, no recollection of her at all. Nothing.
Carefully, I studied my surroundings in the photo. It looked like a hotel room, but not one I would have frequented. Still, I had obviously been there. I focused on the painting above the bed. Something familiar about it. I closed my eyes, frowned, and tried to cast my mind into the past. Where did I see that painting? Suddenly, my eyelids snapped open. Of course, the hotel room in Dallas when I went to the developer’s convention held a few months before Randy framed me.
But I didn’t go to bed with anyone!
I scowled as I tried to recollect the totally unremarkable occasion. Now when I think of it I had a very vague recollection of one of the nights when I had one glass of whisky at the bar downstairs, felt strangely dizzy and went straight to my room. The last thing I remember was falling into bed. I woke up the next morning with a terrible hangover and I had put it down to jetlag and too little sleep.
Bending my head, I restudied the photo more closely.
To anybody looking at this image, especially if they were in shock, it would indeed have seemed as if the woman and I were in the throes of mad passionate love, but I noticed something crazy. I was under the woman and she appeared to be kissing me deeply, but my body actually looked sort of passive, my hands were hanging around her loosely, as if they had been positioned around her. The more I concentrated on that fact, the more certain I became that I was not even asleep, but passed out so dead to the world I didn’t even know there was a woman on top of me. Still, someone had gone to a lot of trouble. I noticed other details, what appeared to be sweat glistening on our bodies. I supposed that was easily achieved with an Evian spray can.
I sat back and steepled my fingers under my chin.
It came to me like a bolt of lightning. Randy was involved in this. This was part of the set up. And then, as if the universe itself was helping me out of the mess of my life, Randy suddenly burst into my office, with a flustered Sandy rushing in after him.
“I’m sorry, Zade. He just burst through. Shall I call security?” she asked, glancing nervously at him.
“That’s okay, Sandy. I’ll call if I need anything else,” I said softly, turning the photo face down while not taking my eyes off him.
“Told you it’d be okay, Sandy.” Randy grinned, then winked at her. “Don’t forget to put that business card away carefully now. I’m looking forward to a call.”
As he considered her retreating ass with wolfish interest, I watched him. He was wearing make-up, probably to cover the bruises around his eye. When the door closed he turned his attention back to me.
“She’s a dead ringer for Sapphire that one. It must be easy to make up for the real thing. I’m sure you’re tapping that, huh.”
I remained calm. “What do you want, Randy?”
He took a seat, propped an ankle across a knee, then leaned back and looked around. “Nice setup. Cool office, and a spectacular view, too.”
“What do you want, Randy?” I repeated, this time I could barely conceal my disgust.
“Nothing really. I just came by to say hello. This ‘war’ between us is juvenile and bad for both of us. Don’t you think it’s time for us to let bygones be bygones and call a truce like adults… like men?”
I observed his smug, carefully made-up face with narrowed eyes. To think I once thought he was my friend. Jesus, I must have needed my head examined.
He stood suddenly, and walked towards the large painting on my wall. “I’m not your sworn enemy, Zade. I promise you.”
I had always tried to give Randy the benefit of the doubt, even when others told me to be careful, I had trusted him as my friend. But now as I looked at him, I saw him for what he truly was: a creep. “Aren’t you?”
He turned away from the painting and faced me. “No, I’m not, Zadeie boy.”
The Zadeie boy grated, but I kept my cool. “Four years of my life spent behind bars says different.”
“You keep harping on about those damn four years. What about the more than ten years before that we were friends?”
“Friends?” I murmured.
“Yes, fucking friends,” he shouted suddenly red with anger. “That was exactly what I was. A friend. A good friend who took a chance on your hail Mary scheme and helped you to build your dream withmymoney, and you repaid me by stealing my girl?”
“Your girl?” I drawled insultingly. I needed him to be angry and out of control. “Surely you’re not still living in that world where you thought Sapphire was ever yours to begin with?”
“I met her first!” he yelled as he pointed a furious finger at me. “I introduced you to her and you stole her from me.”
“Sapphire chose who she wanted to be with and that man was me. You were just a sore loser. But what’s new? You’ve always been living in my shadow and dining on my leftovers.” I leaned forward. “It ate you up that she wasn’t impressed by your name or money, didn’t it? The only way you could get her was framing me for embezzlement and catching her while she was in shock.”
A strange look came over Randy’s face, it was a mixture of loathing and frustration. “You think I’ve got Sapphire? Then you’re an even bigger sucker than I thought.” He shook his head, and his voice was bitter. “I’veneverhad Sapphire and it’s not from lack of trying. She’s all yours. Now that we got it all cleared up, can we stop this war?”
I stared at him with narrowed eyes. “You’re not in a war… but at the fair…”
He shook his head. “I’ve been bluffing all this time. That was just pure luck. I believe the surprise she experienced from seeing you after all these years gave me an advantage. It was easy to make you believe she and I were an item because you were so ready to believe the worst of both of us.”
I felt anger rise within me. “Why? Did you not feel you had destroyed me enough?”