The Secret Brokers (29 page)

David smiled, exposing his slightly crooked bottom teeth. “Over the moon. Never thought…well, let’s just say I never thought I could be at such a place in my life.” He patted Dallas on the shoulder. “I hope one day you can be this happy,” he offered.

Dallas gave David an encouraging smile. “Thanks.” He paused as he surveyed the people milling about the terminal. “Did Lance send you?”

David nodded as he waved his hand toward the stairs to the baggage claim area. “He mentioned you were returning and I had some free time after dropping Nicci at her baby shower in town. So I told him I would come and meet you,” he explained with a hint of an Irish accent.

“Baby shower?” Dallas paused as he considered David’s words
.
“Who else knows about Nicci and the baby?

“Nicci wanted to tell her family about the baby. I figured it would be all right now that you have things under control in New York. The baby shower is only for those who know about her new identity. Aunt Hattie, her cousin Colleen, Nicci’s new stepmother, Betty, and Val, of course.”

“And that’s why you’re here? You’re avoiding the baby shower?”

“No. I wanted to discuss something with you. I didn’t feel it was a subject we should handle over the phone.”

“Is it about Nicci?” Dallas hesitantly asked.

“About the business,” David replied, shaking his head. “I know we have an agreement about the operation and splitting of the profit from the organization, but I want to make some changes.”

Dallas stopped walking and turned to him. “What kind of changes?”

“I want to give it all to you. After Lance told me about the feds knowing everything there is to know about me and Nicci, I decided, with the baby on the way, I can’t risk being involved in such a dangerous operation anymore.” David paused. “Running the organization was always your dream, not mine.”

Dallas stood in silence for a moment, feeling a little overwhelmed by David’s offer. “I don’t know what to say,” he finally told him.

David grinned as his gray eyes lit up. “There’s one other favor I’d like to ask.”

“I don’t like that look. Is it legal?”

“Very. Nicci and I want you to be Ellen’s godfather.” David raised his hands to Dallas, preempting his retort. “In case anything happens to us, we want you to take care of her. We both know she would be safe with you.”

Dallas was floored. “Are you sure, David? I know nothing about kids. And what kind of screwed up parent would I be? The kid would probably need years of therapy to get over the damage I might do.”

“Look, Dallas, it’s simply a
backup
plan, just in case. We want to make sure that if anyone comes after us, if anything should happen, Ellen will be safe.”

Dallas shook his head and took in a deep breath. “Yeah, I guess I see your point, but are you sure? Is Nicci all right with this?”

“It was Nicci’s idea. Anyway, it’s not like anything will happen. I’m a painter and in a few months, when Nicci’s new book comes out, she will be entrenched in her writing career again. We live a quiet and reclusive life, but we both have a past. And that is why we want to do this.”

“I understand.” Dallas paused and smiled. “I’m glad Nicci is writing again. When does the new book come out?”

David beamed with pride. “Jenny Goldvarg’s first novel will hit bookstores in about two months.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for it,” Dallas commented. “What’s
it
about?”

David rolled his eyes. “About a dead painter coming back from the grave to rescue the woman he loves from marrying another.” He gave Dallas a wary gaze. “Sure you still want to read it?”

“If it’s anything like Nicci’s other novels, I can’t wait to see how I’m portrayed.”

“I’ll have her send you a copy then.” David motioned to the stairs. “Let’s get your bags and I’ll drive you over to the car rental agency.” David took a few steps toward the stairs. “Lance said you never gave him a reason for coming back to town. Is something up with that Gwen Marsh business?”

Dallas browsed the busy terminal. “I got a call from an old friend at the Bureau and I have been asked to check something out.”

“You and the Bureau? You always told me you hated working for those guys.”

“I know, but right now I’m doing a little fact-finding mission to help cover my ass,” Dallas stated as the two men reached the stairs. “After that, I’ll have paid my debt.”

“Watch your back,” David warned. “You and I have had enough experience with the feds to know that they never let up.”

Dallas started down the steps. “I know, but in this instance I need to make sure of the facts. It’s important,” he said in a deep, husky voice.

“Important?” David snickered as he followed behind Dallas. “I know that tone of voice. You’re pissed. It’s more than important. It’s personal for you.”

“Yeah, “Dallas murmured as they descended the stairs together. “It is personal.”

***

Dallas parked his dark green Nissan Maxima outside of the gate to Gwen’s farm. He sat in the car and watched the white cottage for a while, hoping she would just come outside on her way to the barn. Then he could see what she looked like and drive away. He didn’t want to speak to her again. As far as he was concerned, they had nothing left to say to each other.

The cottage looked the same with its wrap around porch and array of potted plants. And as his eyes took in the landscape, everything appeared to be unchanged. To his left he saw horses in paddocks or out grazing in the pasture behind the red barn. Even her old, dark blue truck was still parked out in front of the house beneath a tall oak. He sat in his car and observed the minutes ticking by on his watch. And with each passing minute, his apprehension escalated. He soon realized he would have to confront her.

Fed up with procrastinating, he shoved the car door open and stepped outside. As soon as he slammed the car door closed, a cacophony of barking broke out from the front porch of the house. Two large brown dogs came barreling down the porch steps and across the clearing toward the gate.

The front door of the cottage quickly opened and a tall, slender woman came out to the porch and looked his way. She was instantly down the front steps and heading for the gate, calling to the dogs as she went.

“Clovis, Rufus, cut it out!” she yelled in a deep, throaty voice.

The voice was not Gwen’s. He anxiously watched as the woman came closer. Her shoulder length blond hair was flowing freely around her face as her long legs carried her across the grass. She was taller than Gwen, her face was longer, and her features did not have the same delicate appearance. This woman had more of a world-weary expression to her countenance. Her eyes were a little sunken, her mouth dropped downward, and her hips did not have Gwen’s alluring sway.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked as she tried to grab one of the dogs by the collar.

Dallas took a step toward the metal gate. “I’m looking for Gwen Marsh.”

“I’m Gwen Marsh,” she said in an unfriendly tone.

Dallas felt his insides clamp down with panic. Dan Wilbur had been right.

“You’re Gwen?” Dallas shook his head and waved his hand at her. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I was out here just last week with Gwen and you’re not—”

“You’re Dallas,” she interrupted as she approached the gate. “She told me you might be coming back.”

“Who told you I might be coming back?”

“The woman you stayed with last week,” she admitted as she stopped before the gate. “Her name was Rennie Davis. And she was sent here to protect me.”

“Protect you? How?” Dallas angrily questioned.

“She became me. She was able to protect me by pretending to be me,” she told him.

As Gwen Marsh stood before him, Dallas could immediately see the likeness between the two women, but her wary, gray eyes were nothing like the blue-green orbs of the woman he had known.

Dallas shook his head. “Pretend to be you? I don’t understand.”

Gwen walked over to the side of the gate and lifted the latch. “Perhaps you should come inside and I’ll explain,” she said and pushed the gate open.

Dallas nodded and stepped onto her property. He waited for Gwen to close the gate and then followed her to the white cottage as the two large dogs frolicked behind them.

As they climbed the porch steps to the house, Dallas motioned to the dogs. “Are those your dogs?”

Gwen nodded. “Harley was mine too.” She opened the front door. “Rennie told me what happened to him when I got back,” she added as she stepped inside.

Dallas followed her in the door. “When you got back? Back from where?”

Gwen shut the front door just as two black noses tried to finagle their way inside.

“My ex-husband wanted to protect me from any retaliations that might occur because of my father’s testimony at the Robertson trial,
”
she explained, turning to Dallas.
“
He knew the feds would be watching me, but he felt that was not going to be good enough. He wanted me out of the way until the whole thing blew over.”

Dallas stopped inside the door and surveyed the home. Everything was different. Pictures appeared on the walls that had not been there before, mostly pictures of Gwen—the Gwen standing before him. There were numerous photographs of the woman with her father, brothers, and one of her in a wedding dress standing next to a groom with a slight build, red hair, and round pink cheeks.

Gwen walked through her living room and back toward the kitchen. “My ex-husband and Greg Caston were good friends. Doug knew that the art business was just a sideline for Greg.
When my father found out about the trial, Doug decided to contact Caston’s organization.”

Dallas followed her into the kitchen. “But Caston died several months ago. I wasn’t aware his organization was still in operation.”

“Greg’s second in command is running everything.” She smiled at him as she walked over to the cabinet above the sink. “That’s who came up with the plan for me to be replaced with a specialist.”

The aroma of baking bread filled the kitchen. On the stove, Dallas saw a pot of soup simmering away. On the beige counter, beside the sink, freshly baked cookies were still sitting out on a baking sheet.

Gwen pulled a white mug from the cabinet above the sink. “Coffee?”

“Yes, thank you.” Dallas walked over and inspected the pot on the stove. “I take it black,” he added.
“Chili?” he asked, pointing to the pot.

“Vegetarian chili,” Gwen clarified as she filled his coffee mug with the black liquid. “You want some?”

Dallas shook his head. “No, smells good though.”

Gwen nodded to the cookies. “Sugar cookie?”

“No, thank you.”

She brought his coffee over to him and motioned to the island beside them.

Dallas took a seat on one of the wooden stools by the counter next to him. “So where did you go?” he asked and took a sip of his coffee.

Gwen sat down on the stool beside his. “Houston, to stay with Doug. He wanted me out of New Orleans completely. I made the switch with Rennie right before the feds showed up. She was chosen, not only because she looked like me, but could also ride and take care of my horses.” She peered down at her hands neatly folded in her lap. “My father, however, was against Rennie from the start. They disliked each other from the moment they met. I think going to my father’s for brunch was harder for her than rescuing Rotolo for me.”

“You’re the one who called her about Rotolo?”

Gwen nodded as she raised her eyes to him. “We hadn’t planned on her doing any rescues for me, but when I was told about poor Rotolo, I got in touch with Rennie and begged her to collect him for me.” She shrugged. “In almost every way, she became me.”

“But you can cook,” he asserted as he glanced around the kitchen. “She never touched the stove. Lance Beauvoir told me that she…I mean you were a vegetarian. The Gwen I knew ate meat.” He shook his head. “I knew she was keeping something from me. The missing pictures on the walls; the well-equipped kitchen for a woman who ate frozen dinners; the whole gun issue; even down to how she avoided seeing Lance at Carl Bordonaro’s house. I should have seen the signs.”

Gwen’s skittish eyes found his. “When Carl contacted my father and told him he was bringing you on board, Rennie almost walked away. She said she knew of your reputation and didn’t think she would be able to pull off the switch with you hanging around.”

Dallas lifted his coffee mug to his lips. “Well, she did pull it off. She did a first rate job of deceiving me.” He took another sip of coffee.

“Don’t blame Rennie, Dallas. She didn’t tell me everything that went on between you two, but when I got back and saw her face, I instantly knew that something had happened.”

“Where is she?” he softly asked as he placed his mug of coffee on the brown-and-white counter before him.

“I don’t know. After you left, I flew in from Houston, and we made the switch at my father’s house. I haven’t heard from her since.”

Dallas sat quietly for a moment, mulling over everything that she had told him. “And the story about Earl Yeager?”