She clutched it tightly in her hands, thinking of the little old man who’d brought it in. Jasper Higgens had reminded her of a little elf…diminutive, with big ears and gray hair. It was difficult to believe that he was now dead.
She squeezed the necklace even tighter. She could fling it into the woods. Chances were nobody would ever find it again. Or she could bury it deep in the rich earth and nobody would ever see it again. But even as these thoughts crossed her mind, she dismissed them. She was intrigued and wanted to know what secret the necklace held…a secret that had already cost a man his life.
She wasn’t a quitter. The harder she was pushed, the more she’d push back. Of course, it was nice to know she wasn’t in this mess all alone. Tony was turning out to be something of a guardian angel. If he hadn’t come to her aid in the parking lot, she had a feeling the albino would have strangled her to death.
Tony… Again, thoughts of the man brought a rush of strange heat to her stomach. It was obvious there was some sort of sexual attraction between them, but as long as that could be held in check, their partnership was comfortable. It was possible they could come out of this as good friends, and this thought was certainly not unpleasant. The one thing Libby had missed most since her divorce was male companionship. Being raised by her father, she’d always been comfortable in the company of males.
With this pleasant thought in mind, she placed the necklace back around her neck, closed her eyes and scooted into a more comfortable position on the rock.
* * *
Tony awoke suddenly, an emptiness gnawing in the pit of his stomach. For a moment he was disoriented as to where he was. He looked around without moving, tense and ready for anything. Then he remembered. He was in the back seat of his car. He sat up, fully expecting to see Libby sound asleep in the front seat.
His heart gave an erratic thud as he looked over the seat and saw nothing there. He quickly scanned the immediate area outside of the car, feeling his heartbeats increase when there was no sign of Libby.
Where was she? Surely he hadn’t slept so soundly that he wouldn’t have heard if somebody had found them and taken her. His heart nearly exploded out of his chest as he thought about the scene in the parking lot at the fast-food place. Surely he would have heard something…a struggle of some sort…wouldn’t he?
He stumbled out of the back seat, his stomach muscles clenching tightly. He pulled his small pistol from the top of his boot and walked several steps away from the car. “Libby?” he called, his voice taut with tension. He felt sick to his stomach when there was no answer. Where was she? Had something happened? God, he’d never forgive himself if something happened to her. He gripped his gun painfully tight, his whole body vibrant with energy. “Libby, where the hell are you?”
“Hi. Did you have a good nap?” She stepped out of the underbrush right next to Tony, smiling brightly. Her smile faded as she saw the gun leveled at her chest.
“Damn it, Libby, you almost got yourself shot!” he exploded, uncocking the gun and shoving it back into the top of his boot.
His utter relief at seeing her safe and unharmed gave way to irrational anger. “Don’t you ever do that again.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a small shake. “Don’t you ever leave and not tell me where you’re going. And don’t you ever sneak up on me like that.”
He glared at her, his anger suddenly spent as he saw the bewilderment in her vivid blue eyes. “I’m sorry.” He released his grip on her and stepped back, running a hand through his dark hair in distraction. “I woke up and you weren’t anywhere to be seen, and I thought…”
“No, I’m sorry.” She reached out and touched his arm lightly, her blue eyes contrite and huge. “I didn’t even think about you being worried if you woke up and found me gone. It was very thoughtless of me.”
The last of Tony’s anger left him as he gazed at her. She was so different from any woman he’d ever known—so ready to admit fault if fault was hers. He knew she would be just as quick to demand an apology should the fault not be hers.
“It’s all right. I overreacted, and yes, I had a good nap.” He looked at his watch, surprised to see that he had slept for a little over two hours. “We’d better get moving. We’ve lost a great deal of time today.”
An hour later they drove into the first town they had seen since leaving Sedalia so many hours earlier. Cob Corners was actually not even much of a town, boasting only a general store, a filling station and a small engine-repair shop.
“I’ll get some directions here,” Tony said, pulling into the gas station. “I also need to make a few phone calls.” He hoped a call to Cliff would provide some information about the men who were after them.
Libby nodded. “I think I’ll check and see if they have any interesting soda or vending machines.”
“Ah, looking for junk food?” he asked with a grin.
“You know it. A couple of candy bars and a can of soda and I’ll feel fresh as a daisy.”
“Did you folks pull in here for some gas, or just to find a place to jaw with each other?” a gruff voice asked from outside Tony’s car window.
They both looked to see an old man clad in faded overalls. His faded blue eyes gazed at them curiously.
“You can fill it up with unleaded,” Tony told the man as he got out of the car. “Do you have a pay phone inside?”
“Yup,” he answered, and began to fill up the car as Libby and Tony went inside the station.
“Evening, folks.” A plump woman with brilliant pink cheeks and curly gray hair sat behind the cash register in the dimly lit interior of the station.
“Good evening,” Tony responded. “The man outside said there was a pay phone in here.” He smiled his thanks as the woman pointed to a phone on a wall.
“Beautiful evening, isn’t it?” the woman said with friendliness as Libby perused the contents of an antiquated vending machine.
“Beautiful,” Libby agreed with a smile, making her decision and feeding in the proper coins.
