Summary: Adam is back in Boston after a 12 year absence. His career has taken off in a prestigious engineering firm; he’s happily married to his college sweetheart, and he’ll be a featured performer at an upcoming choral production. But the life he’s made is destroyed in three weeks after a beautiful stranger hires him to build a wine cellar. He loses his job; his wife thinks he’s having an affair with the stranger, and he’s forced to participate in a federal crime, knowing that he won’t live through it, but hopes to stay alive long enough to protect the people he loves.

Rated: T  WC  28,000

One Step Closer Series:

For Love’s Sake Only
Til Death Do Us Part
Two Hearts Broken
In Search of Safety
From Two to Three
Changes in Fate

 

Author’s Notes:

Here’s a little recap of how Adam and Melinda ended up together and some of the people they know in Boston. Reading this is not necessary to figure out the story though and you can bypass it. This synopsis reviews information from two previous stories, One Step Closer and One Step Closer, Til Death do us Part.

Adam met a young woman named Melinda when he fell out of a tree at Abel’s while he was in Boston for college. The youngsters felt they were in love and wanted to marry when Adam finished school, but he felt he should go back home for a while and Melinda wanted to attend college in the East. Their frequent letters written to each other failed to arrive and each thought the other had gone their own way.

While Adam was engaged, he went to Sacramento (the episode where he misses his own engagement party because he was held up by bad weather.) Melinda was in Sacramento promoting the teaching method she’d designed to help teachers in outlying areas or where there were students who weren’t used to traditional schooling. Adam and Melinda met outside the jewelry store where Adam was picking out the wedding ring for Laura.

After spending a few hours together, it became clear that they’d both remained in love and even though they’d tried to move on, there was always something missing. Adam didn’t feel he could break his engagement and headed home to marry Laura while Melinda headed back to Boston, hoping that someday they might still be together.

Returning home, Adam began to observe his relationship with Laura, always comparing her to Melinda, and realized that neither of them would be happy in a marriage to each other. As things worked out, he was freed from his obligation with Laura, and after another year of struggling to fit into his life in Nevada, he headed back to Boston and reunited with Melinda.

Shortly before their wedding, a brother-in-law used Melinda as collateral for a gambling debt, figuring her rich fiancée could pay the tab for him. Ben was visiting Boston at the time and helped Adam find her.

Adam met his roommate’s family when he was in school, and they were so taken with the young Cartwright that they’d made him one of their own. Frank and Marian Wadsworth are old money in Boston and own the most prestigious engineering firm in the state. Frank hired Adam when he returned and he, along with his security man, Les worked with Ben and Adam when Melinda was kidnapped.

The man responsible for the kidnapping was Louis Castelletti, a Sicilian “businessman” who owned several gambling establishments and brothels that he staffed with the wives and girlfriends of those who owed money from gambling. One of those women was named Maxi. She had given up on life, but when Melinda was brought to her brothel to await the ransom, she got to know her and was so taken by her love story with Adam that she decided there was more to life than what she had.

The kidnapping had left Adam miserable and wondering if his life would ever be normal. But with help from those who loved him, he was able to enter into his marriage with an open and thankful heart.

Two Broken Hearts

Part 1

Great Expectations

One – Lessons from the Woods

“We’re lost!” Melinda pointed to the object of her frustration. “We’ve passed this same tree at least three times now. I know it’s the same one, because it’s got some sort of knotty growth coming out the side.”

Melinda and Adam Cartwright had taken a buggy ride a few miles outside Boston to find the perfect picnic spot. Their jobs and life kept them busy and surrounded by people all week, so Adam had suggested they go somewhere that no one would find them for a couple of hours.

“We’re not lost.” Adam put an arm around his wife’s shoulder and pulled her close. “There’s lot of trees that have similar shapes, but I guarantee it’s the first time we’ve come upon this one.”

She pulled away as she let her lips fall into a pout. “I’m a city girl. What do I know about finding my way through a forest? I just wanted a spring picnic; you suggested that we find some secluded meadow by a stream to have it. But we’ve been walking for hours and I’m pretty sure we’re lost. You just won’t admit it.”

“You’re exaggerating, my love.” He set their picnic basket down and pulled her near again, kissing the top of her head. “We’ve been walking for ten minutes at the most. You love to walk at home. Sometimes we’re out for hours and you don’t complain.”

Melinda wrapped her arms around Adam’s waist and laid her head on his chest. “At home I know where I’m going and how to get back. I can’t see where we’re headed here. Everything looks the same and the path seems to go in circles. I’m uneasy, so it probably seems like we’ve been walking longer.”

“C’mon.” He took her hand and led her along the deer path they’d been following for no more than another 100 feet where they broke free of the woods into a small lea bordered by a pool created in the turn of a meandering creek. Adam pointed toward the clearing and proclaimed, “Tada!”

“I should have known that you had it all figured out.” She saluted him. “I keep forgetting that you’re an expert in these sorts of things. There’s so much of your life that I don’t know about, Adam. I think we’ll have to visit the Ponderosa soon so I can see how you lived during the years we were apart.” After kissing his cheek she walked away to find the best place to lay their blankets.

They had their lunch while listening to gurgle of the stream and the sounds of the woods. At first she tensed at every rustle or croak, receiving her husband’s head shaking and chuckling for each terrified look or shiver.

“This is nothing, honey.” He tried to sound encouraging. “Here it’s just toads and gnats, and a few harmless critters off in the woods. Out west we had mountain lions and coyotes.” Adam laughed as he thought back to his days sleeping around campfires under the stars. “It was always interesting to wake out of a dead sleep because a yapping coyote pack was celebrating a kill. Even better was to be walking in a canyon and hear the yowl of a cougar echoing from the outcropping just over your shoulder. Those were sounds that could make the bravest man’s stomach…and other body parts clench.”

“Did you ever get used to it?” she asked as her eyes widened.

“Sure. Well, maybe not used to it, but over time you learn to distinguish whether it was just noise or meant danger.”

“Yet you’ve told me how much loved those times out in the wild. I don’t understand how you could love something that had so much unknown danger.”

Adam put the remnants of their lunch back into the basket and then scooted next to his wife, wrapping her in his arms. “There’s unknown threat everywhere when you think about it. Some dangerous things have fur, teeth and claws, while other dangerous things can look pretty ordinary—like people. In the end they can both do a lot of damage if you aren’t careful. If you’re smart and stay out of its way, an animal will usually keep its distance. What you can’t predict or control is what a person will do.”

“You’re being pretty philosophical, my dear. I like it.” She reached up to stroke his cheek and smiled wickedly. “I bet I can predict what you’d do if given the right encouragement.”

“Oh, yeah? What sort of encouragement are you speaking of?”

“We’re alone out here, we have two perfectly fine blankets and I’m getting warm and sleepy.” She fanned herself with her hand. “Aren’t you a little warm and sleepy too?”

His smile grew as he kicked off his boots. “I am in fact very warm. Perhaps we could shed a bit of clothing and wade in the stream? It’s too cold to swim yet, but sticking our feet in would be refreshing. If anything gets wet, it will dry quickly enough and while it does, we might take a nap wrapped up in our perfectly fine blankets.”

Her eyes rolled as she sighed. “If that’s as creative as you can be, then I predict that a toe-dip and a nap are all you shall have.”

Adam winked as he took Melinda’s foot to remove her shoe. His eyebrows rose and he grinned wickedly when he reached under her petticoats to caress her leg as he rolled her stocking down. “Perhaps I forgot to mention what I intend to do between the wading and the nap.”

***

They awoke a few hours later as the arcing son left them shaded and chilly. Adam brushed back some wayward wisps of hair that had fallen onto Melinda’s face and raised her chin to kiss her. “We should get going before the sun starts to set.”

“I guess so,” she said, snuggling in closer and finding a comfortable spot on his shoulder to nestle.

He stroked her cheek as he said, “As long as we’re not moving just yet, I’d like to ask a question.”

Melinda raised her head wondering why her husband’s tone seemed uneasy. “Is something bothering you?”

“No, not bothering me. It’s more that I’m wondering…”

“Well, out with it,” she teased. “You won’t get the answer until you actually ask.”

“Um…well…I…”

“Say it, Adam. You never stammer, so that fact that you are is making me think this is something awful.”

“All right.” He took a deep breath. “Is it possible that you’re expecting a child?”

She bolted to a sitting position. “Do you think I’m getting fat?”

Adam’s eyes formed distinct circles as his brows retreated toward his hairline. “I ask if you might be carrying a child and you’re first worry is that I think you’re gaining weight?”

“Am I?” she asked as she struggled to control her tears.

“Of course you aren’t. You’re as beautiful and slim as you’ve always been. It’s just that…”

“That what?” she asked while eyeing him warily.

“Well…we’ve been married for almost ten months. In that time, we’ve been…ah…together every night except for a few days some months back…and…I…ah…was wondering if that might mean you’re expecting.”

“Oh!” Melinda’s mouth gaped as she thought through what he had said. “Oh my, I hadn’t considered that. I suppose it’s possible, but I’m not like most women.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Adam returned her wary look with a questioning one.

“You know,” she was stammering now, “ah…biblically, like in Leviticus…or maybe medically would describe it better. There’s always been long gaps between…you know…so I didn’t think about the fact that it might indicate something different…something important now that I’m married.”

Adam’s, “Oh, I see,” held a man’s bewilderment over such topics. “At least I think I do. Maybe you should go see Sam and find out what he has to say.”

She lay back down next to him. “Wow. I consider myself to be a smart woman so imagine how foolish I feel right now for not considering that I could be…” Her eyes were bright as she looked up at her husband. “It would be wonderful if it was true.”

He hugged her tightly, “Yes it would be.” They held each other for a little longer before Adam declared that it was time to go. “C’mon, love, I’ll have no trouble finding the way back in daylight, but it gets harder at dusk.”

“You’re sure you know the way?” she asked as they donned their foot apparel. “Maybe we should have left a trail of bread crumbs like in Hansel and Gretel.”

Adam’s laugh echoed in the quiet glade. “You know what happened to that trail. I could have run a string if I’d known you had concerns.” He folded the blankets and picked up the basket as he led Melinda toward the woods. “You’ll just have to trust me. I know what I’m doing and I won’t let you come to harm.”

She tugged at his arm until he stopped. “I do trust you in every way. But it’s like you said earlier; it’s what’s out there that I don’t know about that frightens me.” She chuckled tightly. “There aren’t coyotes in this part of the country, are there?”

“Nah,” he said, taking her hand while turning away to grin. “Don’t worry about coyotes…it’s the bears you have to watch for around here.

Two – The Doctors are In

Melinda left work early on Monday to stop by Massachusetts General. Samuel Green, M.D., had cared for both her and Adam following a kidnapping that occurred just prior to their wedding, and they’d formed a strong friendship with him since then. He’d also become their personal physician.

Dr. Green rose from his desk as she was led into his office. “I was told that you were here to make an appointment, Melinda, but the nurse said she thought you seemed ill-at-ease so I had her squeeze you in.” The change in his voice indicated his concern. “Are you ill?”

“I’m fine, Sam,” she reassured, “it’s just that Adam brought something up that I had to admit I wasn’t sure about.”

He smiled gently as he teased, “Now what are you and Adam questioning? You two seem pretty sure about everything.”

She looked down at her hands as they twisted at the fabric of her dress. “Adam asked me if I was expecting.” She raised her eyes to meet his, “And I honestly didn’t have an answer.”

Sam nodded. “I understand. Most women aren’t sure the first time, and in your case it could be even harder to know. I’m assuming that your monthly times are still irregular?”

“Yes.”

“And the last one was…?”

“Over three months back.”

Dr. Green took a more detailed history and then suggested, “I’m going to have another doctor do your examination, Melinda. He’s a specialist in this field and since you have a few factors that might make a pregnancy a little more difficult, I think it best to consult him right away.”

***

Adam was working through a complicated set of chords on his guitar. He’d come home to an empty house and had used the time alone to practice the fingering for an upcoming concert with the Boston Symphonic Choir. It would be his second performance since being accepted into the group a year ago when he’d moved to Boston from Nevada, and this time they were doing a variety of folksongs. When the director had announced the theme he’d also asked for volunteers who played the guitar to accompany the choir, feeling this would complement the songs better than a traditional orchestra.  Adam hadn’t been sure that his skill level would be adequate, but after an audition and competitions between several hopefuls, Adam had been chosen along with four others.

He’d taught himself to play guitar when he’d returned home after college and ordered his first instrument from New York. He’d become a competent player, but he’d gotten a little rusty since the height of his home-schooling efforts.  Now that he was practicing again, he was able to keep up with the other guitarists chosen, and the numbers were coming together nicely. He enjoyed this sort of music since it reminded him of picking and singing with friends back home. The preparation was “easy” when contrasted with the long hours of vocal strengthening he’d had to do after he’d been made a soloist for the difficult Mozart Requiem at the previous concert. This time his fingers were getting the workout instead of his voice.

He looked up as he heard the front door open and smiled to greet his wife. He suspected what had made her late and those suspicions were strengthened as he realized that her cheeks held the color and dewiness of recently shed tears. Since those tears did not seem to be accompanied by a look of joy, he also assumed the import of news she’d received. He wanted to run and put his arms around her, but something in the way she stood: her chin and shoulders raised with as much dignity as she could muster let him understand that she was not ready to be consoled or even to give voice to her thoughts just yet. He said only, “I’m glad you’re home. I missed you singing along with my fumbling attempts to play these songs.”

Drawing a deep breath, she forced a smile and said, “I heard you from outside and thought you sounded good. In fact you’ve mastered the one you were working on.” Her smile returned to the haunted look she’d had when she’d entered.

A chuckle accompanied his reply. “I thank you for the encouragement, my love, but you didn’t hear the whole thing. I’m afraid your assessment of my mastery is premature.” He waited for her to say more. Instead, she removed her hat and walked to the table, flipped through the correspondence he’d set there earlier, and finally sat down, letting her arms drop to her sides. Sensing that she was ready to talk, he moved quickly to kneel beside her and took her hands in his, gently prodding, “Were you able to see Sam today?”

She nodded while offering nothing further.

“And?”

Her answer was given in a barely-visible shake of her head from left to right.

He drew her close. “It’s all right, Melinda.”

Tears began to journey down her cheeks like the first trickle of rain moving down a parched hillside. “I shouldn’t grieve losing what wasn’t there to begin with, but I feel so sad.”

“I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m so sorry.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

Resting her forehead on his, she said softly, “Don’t apologize. The fact that I’m sad doesn’t mean that it was a bad question. It was important to learn what I did today.”

“Are you able to tell me about it?” He pulled a chair close and sat knee to knee as he took her hands again.

“Sam had me see Dr. Schmidt, an obstetrician…a doctor who takes care of women who are having babies. He explained that while all doctors are trained to deliver babies, he’s one of a few now who specialize in the process of having them.”

“I haven’t heard about that, but it would seem a good thing.”

“Neither Sam nor Dr. Schmidt feels that it will become a thriving specialty in medicine, yet they think it should be.”

Easing her back to his concerns, he urged, “What did he have to say about you?”

After a deep sigh, Melinda explained, “First of all, he said I’m not expecting…at least there’s no indication of it at this time. But there’s good news too. Both doctors feel that there’s no reason that we can’t have children.” She smiled as she remembered part of her conversation with the medical men. “Sam said to explain it to you in words you’d understand. He said that statistically we are as able to conceive a child as any other married couple. Our opportunities may come less frequently, but the odds of conceiving a child when all parts of the equation are correct, are good.”

Adam nodded and chuckled. “That makes sense. Did they say anything else?”

Melinda’s smile retreated again. “Dr. Schmidt said that most women start having children before they’re 20 and the fact that I’m already 34 might mean a more difficult time of it. Yet he was optimistic that all would go well. He’ll watch me very carefully when it happens.”

“I’m glad about that.”

She placed her cheek against Adam’s and wrapped her arms around his neck as she completed her story. “Sam took me aside before I left and said that if being in love was all it took, we should have a house full of kids. In the meantime, he said we should just keep doing what we have been and relax about becoming parents. His thinks that the more tense a couple gets about not having children, the more likely it becomes that they won’t have them. He can’t prove it scientifically, but it seems to be the case.”

“I can see that. Being unduly nervous can be a detriment in most things.” Adam pulled his wife onto his lap and sighed just as Melinda had done earlier. He found that he was experiencing the same sadness that she had described, yet was satisfied that life would have to run its course like always. “Did they tell you what to look for…I mean are there things that would give us a clue when it does happen?”

“Dr. Schmidt said that I would probably feel sick-to-my-stomach on a regular basis, but that doesn’t always happen either. Eventually I’ll notice changes in my body.” Her tears began in earnest as she covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry Adam. I know you want children. It never occurred to me that this ‘condition’ I’ve had all my life would mean that we might not have them. You must be so disappointed in me.”

“Don’t even think such a thing!” He turned her face and made her look at him. “I married you because I couldn’t live without you. Our children will come when they’re supposed to. It will happen, Melinda.”

He held her until her tears stopped and she was able to smile weakly again before he asked, “Are you hungry? I imagine Abel and Sadie are waiting on us for dinner.”

Melinda had inherited the house next to Abel’s from her aunt several years back, and she and Adam had lived there since their marriage. Around the time of the Cartwright wedding, Abel had surprised everyone by announcing his intention to marry his long-time housekeeper, Sadie McIntyre. Since Ben Cartwright had been in Boston for his son’s wedding, the older couple had said their “I dos” a few days after Adam and Melinda so he could attend before heading home. The arrangement with the two generations of newlyweds being in close proximity had worked well in the months since their marriages. With both Adam and Melinda at their jobs all day, they joined the Stoddards for dinner on weeknights, and they reciprocated by hosting the meals at their home on the weekends.

Melinda’s brow wrinkled in concern. “Do you think they’d mind if we didn’t go over tonight? They’re wise enough to sense that something isn’t right. I know they won’t pry, but I don’t want them to worry either.”

He had her stand, and then rose and replaced his chair at the table. “I’ll run over and tell them that we won’t be coming. Then we’ll make something here and have a quiet evening.”

By the time Adam returned from Abel’s, Melinda had changed into a house dress and was reading a letter that had arrived with the day’s post. She looked up as she heard the squeak of the back door hinges and saw that he was carrying a tray draped with a large cotton towel. “Looks like we won’t have to cook after all,” she said appreciatively while inhaling the aroma that had entered along with her husband. “If my nose is working right, that’s Sadie’s fried chicken. I wasn’t hungry before, but one whiff of that and my mouth is watering.”

Adam laughed, “How do you think I felt carrying this over from their house. I almost had to stop at the bench in our yard and dig in.” He noticed which letter she was holding as he set the tray on the table. “Did you read the letter from my father?”

“I did.” Melinda smiled as she pointed to a section of Ben’s scrawl. “This story about your brothers was funny. Is Little Joe always able to get Hoss to do whatever he wants him to?”

Returning from the kitchen with silverware and glasses, Adam chuckled, “Pretty much. Hoss will always resist at first but he usually yields to Little Joe’s way of thinking. This time Hoss just ended up with poison ivy in some very uncomfortable places for his efforts. That’s not too bad when compared with some of the other predicaments he’s gotten into at Joe’s urging.”

“I hope I get to meet those two soon.” Melinda drew in a deep breath as she lifted the cloth from the tray and set out the plates of food. “Mmm. This does smell wonderful. Do you think Abel and Sadie were disappointed that we didn’t go over?”

Surveying the table, Adam realized they still needed napkins and the water pitcher and went back for those before sitting down next to Melinda. “You do realize that Abel is always one step ahead of us. When I got there, he was slipping on his jacket to come over here and suggest that they send dinner over for us tonight.””

”Do they have plans for the evening?”

“No. Grandfather said he’d been looking out the window when the cab dropped you off. He realized that you’d gotten home later than usual and thought you looked spent. He suspected we’d appreciate a quiet night in our own house.”

Melinda reached over to touch Adam’s arm. “Your grandfather is a wise man.”

“That he is.”

The couple dug into the mashed potatoes, green beans and chicken with gusto while saying little more than, “please pass the salt” and exchanging a wing for a drumstick. When she could eat no more, Melinda leaned back against her chair and sighed. “There’s nothing like a good meal to raise a person’s spirits.” Adam’s agreement was given in a satisfied grunt and nod as he chewed.

While her husband continued to eat, she closed her eyes and replayed the events of the past few days. Her conclusions made her sit forward again as she turned to face Adam. “I think it best if we just go on doing as we have been like Sam said, and I’ll let you know when I think there might be news about any Cartwright offspring. If I keep thinking about it, I’ll constantly be holding my breath.”

Adam smiled and said, “That sounds like the best plan,” before inserting the last forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Melinda eyed him oddly as her head tipped, and she finally remarked, “I still can’t believe I hadn’t realized that ordinary occurrences before we were married might not be asordinary anymore. What made you ask about it? I didn’t think men paid much attention to such things.”

After a swig of water he was able to say, “I wouldn’t have asked about it except that Frank and I were talking the other day.” He bit off a piece of thigh meat and began chewing as he looked at his wife. He suspected that something about his last comment had not pleased her and didn’t have to wait long to confirm his theory.

“What?” The elongation of both the “wh” and “t” in her question left little need for interpretation. “Why were you and Frank talking about my fertility? There is no circumstance where that would be an appropriate conversation!”

A thought passed through Adam’s mind as he saw his wife’s face redden and her lips close to a tight pucker, that if he looked really closely, he might actually see steam exiting her ears. He had never seen her look this angry and he tried to swallow so he could explain. His rushed efforts resulted in a fit of choking as the chicken stuck in his throat. “It’s not…” He coughed as he struggled to breathe.

“It’s not what?” Her tone was harsh. Melinda had no patience at that moment—not even for a blocked windpipe.

Adam’s face was now as red as his wife’s as he continued to choke out his explanation. “Not a conversation…just a question…sort of.”

“So Frank came up to you, slapped your back, handed you a cigar and said, ‘by the way, son, have you gotten Melinda in a family way yet?’ That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

After refilling his water glass twice and downing the contents, he was finally able to breathe without setting off a paroxysm. “Relax, honey. It’s not what you’re imagining.” He cleared his throat and tried to draw a deeper breath, while noticing that Melinda’s foot was now tapping as her fingers drummed on the table. “Late last week, Frank said that he’d been mulling over a situation for us.”

“For us?” Her fingers drummed harder.

“Yes, and then he said that he’d mentioned it to Marian and she’d cautioned that it might not even be possible if we were planning to have a family soon.” Adam’s breathing settled into a regular pattern as Melinda’s hand came to a rest on the tablecloth.

“And that’s when you told him I might have a bun in the oven as they say, but that I was probably too naïve to realize it?” Her fingers picked up the cadence again.

“What?” He considered her last statement again. “No! I didn’t say a thing. Frank went on to explain that there was talk of a huge harbor construction project involving several English shipyards. If it’s true, bids on the project should open in a month or so. Our London office sent the specifications and plans for us to look at, and Frank speculated that should things go well and we’d win the contract, he’d like to send me over to supervise the project since I have the most experience with that site type. He wondered if we might agree to move there for a year or two and he said I should mention the idea and see what you thought.”

Melinda’s anger dissolved as she considered Adam’s explanation. “What you’re saying is that after Frank mentioned it, you began to wonder if there was a reason to think we werestarting our family.”

“Exactly!” He raised his arms in emphasis. “I would never discuss our private matters with anyone—not even Frank or Marian. I mentioned it only because I didn’t want to bring up the move with you until I knew whether you were…ah…we might be…”

She cut into his stammering, “How soon was he thinking we’d have to leave?”

Adam smiled with relief. “Right now it’s still supposition, but if we get the work, it would still be a couple of months before I’d need to be on site.” He reached for her hand. “Would you be interested?”

“I would love to travel to England. Perhaps we could even get across to France and Austria while we’re there.” She brought his hands to her lips and kissed them. “I’m sorry for my strong reaction, Adam. I suppose my feelings about this are still a little raw. Tell Frank that we’d be interested in his proposition. If circumstances change we’ll talk it over with Sam and Dr. Schmidt.” Melinda grinned for the first time since arriving home. “In fact, I’m pretty sure women can have babies in England too.”

Three – When a Lovely Woman Comes a Calling

Adam rose from his office chair, leaned forward onto his desk to arch his back and finally stood up to thoroughly stretch. He’d been hunched over a set of site plans for over an hour and his back was aching. He’d taken a job with Wadsworth Engineering when he’d come to Boston a little over a year ago. His original intent in returning was to help Abel after he’d had a stroke,His but his grandfather had recovered quickly leaving Adam free to pursue a life that suited him. He’d taken a job, reunited with Melinda, and they’d married after a short courtship.

His boss, Frank Wadsworth, was the father of Adam’s college roommate. He and Frankie Jr. had become easy friends during school and the Wadsworth family had taken the young Cartwright into their fold as one of their own. They had welcomed him back to Boston with open arms and the offer of a job at the most prestigious firm in the city. The elder Wadsworths, both Frank and Marian, were from two of the oldest and wealthiest families in Boston, but they bucked societal boundaries, choosing instead to accept people based on their inherent qualities rather than their bloodlines.

Adam had worried that his own father might be offended by the close ties his son held with the Wadsworths, but when Ben had visited Boston at the time of Adam’s wedding, the two patriarchs had gotten along very well. They were both hard-working, strong-willed men who never took life…or a dollar…for granted. Each was building their empire and they’d found much to commiserate about while sharing their ideas and goals.

Adam had found himself embroiled in a predicament at that time and Frank and Ben had worked together so well in assisting him that they had experienced a great letdown when it was time for his father to return to the Ponderosa.

As Frank’s employee, Adam was cut no slack. Frank’s own son was in San Francisco running the firm there, and since Adam was like a son to Frank, he expected both young men to do their jobs better than anyone else. It was expected that Adam’s work ethic and skill would mean clients who hired Mr. Cartwright of Wadsworth Engineering, knew they had the best engineer in the city. In the office, Adam called Frank, Mr. Wadsworth, and treated him with the respect due him. Outside of work, Frank and Marian were his friends and the newlywed Cartwrights felt blessed to be part of the Wadsworth family.

As his stretching produced a loosening in his muscles, Adam sat again, opened the bottom drawer of his desk, rested his feet there and leaned back into the comfortable padding of his overstuffed, leather chair. He’d been working nonstop since his arrival some hours ago and he took a mental break to clear his mind of the information swirling there.

His musings took him back to the prior evening. After getting off to a sad start with Melinda’s news, and then the misunderstanding during their meal, the remainder of the evening had been spent pleasantly, rehearsing for the concert. He and Melinda had first fallen in love when he’d been a student in Boston. They’d lost track of each other when he’d returned to Nevada and she’d gone on to college, and had been separated for twelve years before meeting by accident in Sacramento. He’d had to tamp down the feelings that seeing Melinda again had set to burning since he’d been engaged to Laura Dayton at the time. When he’d found himself freed from that commitment and on his way to help Abel, he’d hoped that he might find Melinda still single, and be able to reignite the flame.

While they’d been married some months already, he was still finding out things that he’d had no clue about before. One of those things was that his wife had a lovely singing voice.

He knew she could carry a tune from hearing her singing softly next to him at church, but hadn’t realized the quality of her voice until he’d heard her singing alone as she straightened the kitchen one night. She’d been shy when he commented about it, saying that she was uneasy singing in front of him because his voice was so good. He’d encouraged her to sing with him and the shyness had dissipated. However, his initial hopes about having her join the choir with him were dashed when he realized that Melinda had never taken vocal training. She could read music enough to play the piano or sing at church, but she was unable to sight-read choral music so would easily lose track of her harmony in a song when other voices distracted her ear, and she lacked breath control through phrases. Those issues were improving as she sang more, yet he knew it would take formal lessons to prepare her for a choir audition.  He had come to realize that she was not interested in this course, and contented himself to enjoy their times of singing together without pushing her toward performance.

Melinda’s good voice had proved a valuable asset after he had been selected as a guitarist for the Symphonic Choir’s upcoming event. He’d mostly picked chords when singing with friends back home, but he was now learning far more intricate fingering as accompaniment. In addition, the “pickers,” as they called themselves, were expected to sing as they played. He noticed early in his concert practice that an old problem had resurfaced. When he was learning back home, no one had seemed to notice or care that his mouth had stopped moving when he’d struggled with positioning his fingers over the right frets while trying to sing along.* That had gotten better as he’d become more proficient, but it had reappeared with a vengeance. With Melinda singing along, he’d been able to practice the words along with the fingering, and his mouth and hands were working together again…most of the time anyway.

Singing together last night had allowed them to forget the tensions of the day, and they had headed for bed in a fine frame of mind, raising the roof a few inches—their code for intimacy—before drifting to sleep in each other’s arms.

A gentle rap on his office door jarred Adam back into the present. He groused as he smacked the calf of his leg on the sharp corner of the open desk drawer while rushing to stand.

A young drafting intern stuck his head inside and said, “Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Cartwright, but Jeanine asked me to tell you know that there’s a client out front asking to speak with you.”

Adam observed the young man’s red cheeks and toothy smile and asked, “Why are you grinning like that, Harry? Is there something unusual about this client?”

“Ah, no, sir. Well not exactly.” The boy’s cheeks reddened further with his stuttering.

“Just tell me what’s going on,” Adam said as his brows formed a distinct V.

“Well, sir, I reckon this client is just about the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. You’re about the only one here who hasn’t made his way out to take a look, but I guess you were…ah…sleeping.”

Adam now noticed the group of his peers gathering near the reception area as he growled, “I wasn’t sleeping. I was thinking.”

Harry’s grin deepened as he teased his superior, “It’s all right, Mr. Cartwright, every older engineer at Wadsworth takes a few moments to ‘think’ at some point in the day. Mr. Wadsworth clears his office, pulls the shades and ‘thinks’ for over an hour most afternoons.”

Gathering the prints from his desk, Adam was able to turn towards his drawing board before chuckling quietly. Frank’s naps were legendary and no one interrupted them. He appreciated the younger man’s humor until the other part of his comment registered. “Older engineer, indeed,” he muttered before turning back to ask, “You said this beauty wants to see me?”

“Yes, sir. The other guys all tried to sway her toward their services but she’s holding fast. Should I show her in?”

“Might as well, kid,” Adam winked, “as old as I am, I better not wait too much longer or I’ll be dead before she gets in here.” He saw Harry laughing at his comment while trotting toward Jeanine’s desk, and then observed the crowd part as a young, dark-haired beauty walked toward his office.

He came around the desk as the woman entered and extended her hand. Her voice was rich and velvety as she purred, “Good morning, Mr. Cartwright. I am Lucille Castle.”

Adam had to shoo Harry from the room after the young man had stood there with an awed-puppy look on his face. After shutting the office door, he escorted his client to one of the chairs in front of his desk and asked, “May I offer you coffee or tea before we start?”

“Nothing, please. I thank you, but I am anxious to discuss my project.”

While returning to his own chair, Adam considered the woman’s voice. In itself it was not familiar, but there was familiarity in the way she spoke. He had heard others speak with this sort of phrasing in the past, but he couldn’t pin this particular cadence to a face. “Thank you for choosing Wadsworth Engineering, Mrs…”

“It is Miss Castle, not Mrs.” she quickly interjected. “I hope this fact makes no difference to you.”

“Of course not.” Adam’s mind raced, trying to establish the familiarity he was feeling. Having no luck, he pushed it from his mind and concentrated on his client. “I was told that you asked for me. Is there a reason for that, Miss Castle?”

“Certainly, Mr. Cartwright. This is a project of my father’s and he has done his research. You have the qualifications we need.”

“I assume I will meet your father?”

Her smile was slight, turning only the farthest corners of her mouth while giving her an air of mystery. “My father has entrusted the start of this project to me. He has been…away…for a time, but will return shortly. You have actually met him in the past. He was most anxious to use your services and even more excited once your firm provided your references showing that you have experience with underground projects.”

Adam’s interest was piqued even as he was again left wondering. “I’m sorry to say I don’t recall meeting your father. I haven’t had any clients named Castle. Perhaps we met socially?”

“It was a business affair. Yet it does not matter that your memory has abandoned you at this moment. You will remember soon enough.”

That sounded almost menacing, he thought, yet I think it’s just the way she speaks. It struck him then that she spoke with the syntax of one who learns to speak English rather than having it as their mother-tongue. There was a hint of accent in some words, and he assumed it was more the formality of her speech that lent it an edge of superiority rather than being intentionally so. As he considered this, a shadow moved through his mind that he couldn’t capture. “What sort of job do you have in mind? I haven’t worked with an underground project in some years so I assume you’re speaking of my association with Phillip Dedisheimer and work on the Sacramento Embarcadero?”

“Those are the ones we took great interest in. You see we purchased a building that housed a restaurant and we plan to open a café there. But there is no place to store our wine properly. We would like to add a large cellar beneath the existing structure.”

“I’ll have to see the building and then check the city regulations to make sure it’s possible. If there are no legal deterrents and the foundation can withstand the undermining, I’ll design something. If that isn’t possible, I may be able to suggest alternatives.”

“Then it is set. Will I need to sign a contract before you visit the building?”

Adam pulled a fresh folder from his desk and labeled it, Castle Wine Cellar. “That won’t be necessary. If you’ll give me the address, I’ll stop by. We won’t discuss terms until I’m sure the project can be done.” He jotted the address she gave him on the folder and nodded. “I’m familiar with that building. I belong to a choir that rehearses in the concert hall across the street and I noticed recently that the building had sold. Congratulations on the inauguration of your new enterprise. I’m sure you’re anxious to complete your renovations and open. Would it help get things rolling if I met you there at three today?”

“I was hoping you would be available soon.” Her smile grew slightly. “I’ll wait out front for you at three.”

As Adam rounded the desk to escort his client out, he saw Frank heading toward his office under a full head of steam. There was no doubt in his mind that his boss had heard the chattering about the attractive client and was coming to check for himself.

Frank entered without knocking and stood there smiling and rocking on his heels. Adam made the introductions, “Miss Lucille Castle, this is the owner of Wadsworth Engineering, Frank Wadsworth.”

Bowing slightly, Frank reached for her hand and bestowed it with a kiss. “My pleasure, Miss Castle. Was Adam able to assist you today? I note that your appointment seems to be coming to an end rather quickly.”

“We’re meeting at the site of her restaurant this afternoon, Frank,” Adam explained. “She and her father would like to add a wine cellar and I’m going over to see if that’s possible.”

Miss Castle removed her hand from Franks as she offered, “I assure you that Mr. Cartwright has been most helpful. My father asked for him after verifying his credentials and he is anxious to begin.”

“Very good,” Frank smiled again at their prospective client and then turned to Adam. “You’ll keep me apprised of developments.” After receiving Adam’s assurances, Frank bid a farewell and watched as they walked toward the front doors. The office rumors about the client had been correct. Frank agreed that she was lovely in an exotic way. He assumed her to be of Mediterranean descent judging by her skin tone, facial features and hair color: Italian would be his guess. She was young; he’d put her at no more than her mid-twenties, but she carried herself with the bearing of someone raised in wealth. “Castle,” he muttered. “I’m not aware of anyone with money in this town with that name. Maybe they’re new to the city.”

He shivered. He hadn’t expected that, and yet he’d felt the hair rise on the nape of his neck when he’d kissed the woman’s hand. It wasn’t like him to make snap judgments, but this woman made him uneasy. Her manner of speaking seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place it; she looked familiar too, but again, he wasn’t sure why. What he’d found oddest about her was that her lovely face had seemed shrouded with a veil of sourness as she’d spoken to them. It made him feel as though she knew something about them that she didn’t like, or perhaps held something over…or against them. He decided he would have to wait until Adam had more information about the project before drawing any conclusions. Still, a niggling at the base of his brain and a swirling in his stomach made him hope that this business opportunity would not develop.

Frank shook off his thoughts when he saw his security chief, Les, walking through the main workroom. He stepped from Adam’s door and called to him, motioning toward his own office. “Come see me before you leave, Les.”

Les detoured from his destination and made a beeline for his boss. When Frank Wadsworth said he needed a minute, Les gave it to him. He’d been hired years ago after there had been an attempt to kidnap Frank’s son from his dormitory room. Adam had prevented that from happening back then and Frank had taken measures to insure that his son’s roommate wouldn’t have to risk his life again. The boys had been under surveillance the rest of their college years, but Adam had only heard about the security team recently. Since its inception, Les had gathered a group of highly skilled men to work for Wadsworth Security. Many had come from criminal backgrounds, including Les. But a good salary and their boss’s trust kept them on the right side of the law. They kept their eyes and ears open and their mouths shut, and Les was pretty sure he knew just about everything that was happening on the darker streets of Boston. What he didn’t know didn’t remain that way for long.  His expertise on the criminal element and their movements kept him one step ahead of what was going on…at least most of the time.

Once inside Frank’s lair with the door shut, he asked, “What’s up, Boss?”

***

Adam resumed his calculations and made billing notes on two of his projects that were near completion while mulling over the Castle project. The meeting had been brief, but there wasn’t much to talk about until he was sure that the project was doable.

Shortly after one, he placed a standard billing contract into the Castle folder along with graph and note paper, gathered his invoicing and headed toward the accounting office. “Hi Jim,” He greeted their finance expert, “I’ve finished last week’s billing hours.” He laid a few forms on the corner of the accountant’s desk.

Without looking up from his ledger, Jim waved as he grunted, “Thanks, Adam. I’ll get to them in a bit.”

Adam’s next stop was Frank’s office, where he stuck his head in to say, “I’ll be gone for the rest of the day, Boss. I’m heading home to change and then I’ll be with Miss Castle. I’ll have to do some crawling around under the building to see if we can do what they have in mind. If all looks good, I’ll make a proposal.”

Frank looked up from the report he was reading. “Don’t rush this, son. Let’s go over your thoughts tomorrow before you have her sign anything.”

He shot Frank a questioning look. “Something bothering you? You usually want a signature as soon as possible.”

The chill from earlier breathed down Frank’s back again, but he decided against infecting Adam with his concern. He took a different tack in his reply. “Miss Castle seems very businesslike, yet she’s still quite young. I have reservations about working with clients who are tackling their first construction project. They continually second-guess their decisions and then want revisions and a lot of hand-holding along the way. Sometimes we lose more money than we make on those endeavors.”

Adam had noticed several emotions play across Frank’s face as he’d spoken. The one that surprised him most was fear. He didn’t understand, yet he knew that his boss wouldn’t explain it even if asked, and replied, “That makes sense. I’ll let you know what I find out and we’ll go from there.” He squinted as he forced himself to remember what else he wanted to tell his boss. “By the way, Melinda and I spoke about your offer, and we’d be interested in London if it becomes available.”

“That’s good news.” The older man noted Adam’s resigned smile and asked no questions. “You’ll enjoy your time there. I’ll let you know as soon as there’s word.”  Adam saluted his boss and had begun walking away when he heard Frank call, “Hey, come back here.”

After he made a U-turn and was once again at the door, Frank continued, “I forgot to tell you something. Les and Maxine are getting married. He just told me a few minutes ago. I’ll speak to Marian about this, but we’re all going to your concert in a couple of weeks, and I think it would work out well for us to head to our house for a little celebration afterward. ”

“That’s great news,” Adam said as he smiled broadly. “It’s an early matinee performance so the timing should work. I’ll mention it to Melinda and she can make arrangements with Marian. I was going to ask if you could stop for her at the house anyway. I have to be at the hall in the morning for rehearsal and she’d much rather be getting all the news from the ladies than sitting alone in an empty auditorium if she has to go early with me.” He waved as he turned back a final time while walking away. His mind was whirling with images of Maxine and Les as he weaved his way between the desks.

He’d met them both just before his own wedding.  At that time, Melinda’s sister was married to an investment broker who’d unwisely decided that he could make more for his clients by playing poker with their funds rather than by finding actual venture opportunities. In the months before Adam came back to Boston and reunited with Melinda, Lloyd had gotten himself in deep trouble playing in illegal games run by a Sicilian “businessman.” He’d not only lost the money entrusted to him, but had borrowed from the house and couldn’t repay his debts. By the time Adam had met Lloyd, the man was being threatened with death, and he still hadn’t confided his problems to his wife or her family. When Lloyd found out that Adam came from a family of some wealth, it gave the gambling fool a glimmer of hope in finding a way out of his money dilemma. He’d first tried to broker a bogus business deal with Adam, and when that didn’t work, he allowed the Sicilian named, Castelletti, to kidnap Melinda in hopes he’d get the $25,000 that way.

Lloyd had been naïve about the viciousness of the men he owed the money to, and while he thought his sister-in-law was being held at a nice hotel until the money was exchanged, Melinda was actually held captive in a brothel owned by the same group. Ben had been visiting at the time and while Adam and his father had quickly surmised why Melinda had been kidnapped, they hadn’t been sure how they should handle it, and had gone to Frank Wadsworth for help. That’s when Adam found out that Frank had a security team and he’d met Les for the first time. The man’s skill and knowledge had helped them plan Melinda’s rescue.  Les’s new fiancée, Maxine, or Maxi, as she’d been called back then, had worked in the brothel where Melinda had been held and she had protected her and made sure she was as comfortable as possible. Maxi had met Les when he and Adam had raided the brothel to free Melinda.**

It had been obvious that Les was drawn to Maxine immediately. The security man had admired her bravery and spunk especially after he found out that Maxi had been given to the Sicilian to pay the debt owed by the man she thought had wanted to marry her. She’d pretty much resigned herself to her hellish life until she’d gotten to know Melinda and decided that she could still hope for better. Helping to save Adam’s Fiancée had almost resulted in her own death.

In the months since the kidnapping, Les had managed to get Maxine hired as a member of the Wadsworth security team. He’d convinced Frank by reasoning that when used wisely, a pretty face on someone with good instincts could usually get more information than a hulk of a man with a drawn weapon. Les and Maxine had quickly become a team outside of work as well.

Adam found himself smiling widely as he reached the front entrance of Wadsworth Engineering. He realized again what an interesting couple of weeks had led up to his own nuptials. He had learned a great deal as he’d struggled to make sense of the kidnapping and aftermath. But with time and some assistance from those who loved him, he’d been encouraged to look at life from all perspectives to be able to find light where there might seem only darkness. That truth had been reliable when applied to Melinda’s kidnapping. Much good had come from it even though he’d had trouble seeing it at first. And now it seemed the good would continue to manifest itself in a marriage between two people who had been essential in bringing a positive outcome to that episode. It left him wondering how those who didn’t grasp a mindset of hope, or refused to look beyond their frustration and anger could handle the disappointments that were the only sure promises in life.

Stopping at the front desk, he told the clerk, “I’ll be out the rest of the day, Jeanine. See you in the morning.”

She returned his smile. “The good Lord willing, I’ll be here, Mr. Cartwright. You take care of yourself until then.”

He turned back as he opened the door. “Thank you, Jeanine.”

Four – When Auld Acquaintance Should be Forgot

Abel waved to his grandson as he saw him approaching in the buggy and called out, “What are you doing home so early? Did Frank finally realize what a slacker you are and fire you?”

Adam laughed as he pulled to stop in front of his house. “No, I’m still gainfully employed. I have to change clothes and get out to a jobsite for an estimate.”

“I won’t hold you up, son. I have to admit you look in fine fettle today. Maybe it was Sadie’s chicken that perked you up last night. I thought it was particularly good.”

“That is was. Sadie performs miracles in the kitchen.” Adam grinned as Abel blushed with the compliment to his wife. “I hope you weren’t upset that we didn’t join you. With the extra time, I think I finally perfected the song I’ll be performing with the other guitarists as the finale of the upcoming concert.”

Abel’s blush returned as he admitted, “I actually stood out on the porch for a while to listen.”

“You should have come over. It would have been nice to have an audience.”

“I might have on another night, but you seemed to have something on your mind when we spoke and I didn’t want to intrude.”

Adam sighed. “You always could read me. There was just some news that lay heavy on our hearts for a bit, but it passed and we would have enjoyed your company.”

“I saw Melinda’s tears when she exited the cab yesterday,” the older man confided. “She stood on the walk for a moment regaining her composer before heading toward the house. I suspected that she had received some bad news to upset her so.” He raised his hand as Adam attempted to speak. “There’s no need to explain. I’m aware of only a few things that make a young woman look so forlorn. We will not speak further of it.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

He smiled kindly as he registered his grandson’s face break in a moment of melancholy, and pushed both of them onto a different track of conversation. “Back to your concert preparation, I noted there were some quiet parts when you played only single notes or chords, so I’m assuming that there are times when you carry the melody, and times when you are supporting what the others are playing?”

Adam regained his animation, “You have a good ear. The number we’re doing is Pachelbel’s Canon in D. He’s a German composer from the Baroque period1 that you’ve probably not heard of. He based the composition on a series of eight notes that form the bass line with the rest of its voices, as the parts are called, reworking those notes in various melodies. It builds slowly, but powerfully and then recedes again to a quiet ending.”

“You don’t find much classical music written for guitars,” Abel remarked as he scratched at his beard.

“This was actually written for violins and a cello. One of the men I’m performing with heard it when he studied music in Germany and thought it would sound wonderful with guitars. He scored it for us using a handwritten copy of the piece that he made years ago.” Adam chuckled as he completed his thought. “I figure it will either leave the audience amazed or scratching their heads. Then again, a lot depends on how well we perform it. Unfortunately, we don’t always pull it together as well as we should.” His lips puckered in thought. “Say, has Sadie started supper yet?”

“No, she’s busy cleaning. Will you and Melinda be late again?”

“I shouldn’t think so. In fact I wanted to suggest that Sadie not cook tonight and we’ll all walk to the pub for dinner and a pint or two.”

“I’m sure Sadie would appreciate not having to cook,” Abel winked at his grandson, “and I’ll appreciate the pint or two.”

Adam placed his arm around his grandfather’s shoulders in a quick hug. “I’ll like that too, but I better get moving or I’ll be late for my appointment. I’ll leave a note for Melinda telling her of our plan.”

***

Lucille was waiting in front of the large front window of her restaurant when Adam pulled up in his buggy. She stepped forward to greet him as he grabbed his folder and jumped from the rig. “You are timely, Mr. Cartwright. I appreciate that.” As he made it to her side, she pointed and inquired, “That large hall on the opposite side of the street is where you are holding your concert?”

“That’s right. It’s still about three weeks away, and believe me, we need the rehearsal time.” He gave the building behind his client a once over. “I see you’ve papered the windows. Are you doing some redecorating in the dining room?”

“You are observant; that will serve you well. We are only cleaning and organizing now, but since the building was sold, passers-by have begun to get curious and we have grown weary of finding noses pressed up against the glass.” She gave a ladylike chuckle. “I can assure you that being peered at and waved to, gets monotonous.”

“I can imagine. He looked up to see that the windows above the main floor were clean and curtained. “Do you have rooms to let upstairs? I don’t recall this building housing a hotel, but it may have. Until we started rehearsing here I was not much acquainted with this part of Boston.”

“They were residential rooms, not a hotel, and were vacated when the building went up for sale. It has proven propitious for our purposes as we have taken occupancy while we work on the restaurant. There is room enough for our workmen to stay here, as well as for myself and my father.”

“Has he made it back then?”

“Yes,” she said, giving him a mysterious half-smile. “You will meet him shortly. But before we go inside, we should walk the exterior areas. Please pay special attention to the building to our east as we do.”

“You’re speaking of the bank, of course. I do suppose that might be a factor in whether excavation is allowed in this area, but I’ll check on that with the city. Let’s take a look around.”

They spent the next 15 minutes going over the outside of the building, as well as walking the plot of grass separating the restaurant from the bank. “I think we can go in now,” Adam suggested, “I’m anxious to see what’s underneath.”

The change from the bright light outside to the dim interior of the building made Adam stop for a moment to let his eyes adjust. He thought he heard movement from the direction of a dark corner, but had no time to investigate.

“This way,” his client said as she tugged him toward a lighted lamp hanging near an open door. “There is a small cellar under the building already. I will have you go down to see what is there. Come up when you have finished and we will answer any questions you may have, and then we shall make our proposal.”

***

“He didn’t!” Melinda giggled. “Les got down on one knee and proposed?”

“He really did.” Maxine avowed while blushing. “He stopped by last night and asked me to join him on the porch and had me sit on the top step. He knelt below me and said he loved me and wanted me as his wife if I was willing to have him.” Maxine had stopped to visit Melinda at the publishing house where she worked to tell her of the engagement. “I was so surprised I didn’t know what to say.”

Melinda gave her friend a hug. “Why were you surprised? Are you the only person who didn’t think Les would propose? Adam and I figured he was ready to ask you a few weeks after he met you.”

The blush deepened. “I knew he would do it at some point, but he’s been so sweet. He said he wanted to court and woo me like a proper gentleman so I’d know that my life was different now.”

“Les is a good man, and he’s getting a fine wife.” Melinda led Maxine to an empty office where they could speak more privately. “Did you set a date for your wedding?”

“We have to wait a couple of months. Les has been living on the Wadsworth estate and we’ll need to find a house or cottage near there. And he’ll have to train someone to take his place so we can visit his parents. They’re not able to travel here so we’re taking a trip to New York and will stop to see them.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Melinda’s face registered her surprise as she thought about something her friend had shared. “Doesn’t Les have a second-in-charge already? Someone must take over for him when he goes away.”

A knowing giggle accompanied Maxine’s reply. “Les has never been gone before. This will be the first time he’s taken off…in 15 years!”

“Isn’t that something?” Melinda winked. “Maybe this is the first time he’s had a good reason to want to be away.”

Maxine sighed as she became wistful. “I truly hope our marriage goes as well as yours. You and Adam seem so happy.”

“It’s a lot of work to be happy, Maxine. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Adam and I promised that we’ll always be honest and sometimes that’s not easy. There are times when we have to remind each other to talk about what’s making us irritable or edgy. And once we do, we both have to be able to separate our feelings from the facts.” Seeing Maxine’s questioning look, she elaborated. “Sometimes there’s an issue at work that’s bothering us. I can’t always tell Adam the specifics about the book I’m working on nor can he tell me the details of a contract. But once we know that’s what it is, we can move on without thinking that there’s a problem between us.” Melinda grinned as she leaned forward and lowered her voice. “But at other times we have to let each other know when there is a personal complaint. It’s not always enjoyable to hear that we’ve said or done something hurtful or thoughtless, but it does clear the air. And making up is always the best part.”

Maxine nodded thoughtfully as Melinda’s face clouded and her voice grew sad, “Every now and then, I find myself haunted by what happened between my sister and her husband, and for an instant I wonder how I’d go on if I thought Adam was keeping things from me…”

With her eyes bulging into round circles, the other woman asked in horror, “You don’t think that’s happening, do you?”

“Oh, no,” Melinda laughed as she regained a happier frame of mind. “It’s just that my sister’s divorce is so recent and I still try to make sense of what happened to them. I would never have married a man like my brother-in-law, but figured that if Miranda loved him then I should keep my opinions to myself. And their life did seem happy and normal…until we found out that Lloyd had lived a double life. I can’t comprehend how he could lie to Miranda, pretend that everything was all right, and not even share that he was in trouble when it became life-threatening. She would have been shocked and hurt, but I know she would have helped him. I think that’s what’s hardest about situations like that. When someone in a marriage won’t share what’s going on, it leaves the other helpless to do anything.”

“Relax, Melinda.” Maxine took her friend’s hands into hers. “Adam is not Lloyd. He’s given you his word, and he’ll honor it.” She smiled broadly, “And I’m stealing your secret to a happy marriage. Since Les and I work together, we’ll really be able to share everything!”

“That sounds perfect, Maxine.” Melinda swung their clasped hands to and fro like two young girls as she asked, “I’m going to be your bridesmaid, right?”

Maxine was suddenly serious. “Who else would I even think to ask? It’s only because of you and your faith in Adam that I ever came to believe that I could trust someone again. I want a happy ending too.”

***

Adam brushed dirt and cobwebs from his hair and shoulders as he exited the basement and hung the lamp back on the hook. “You actually have a pretty good-sized space already,” he said as he smiled at Lucille who was waiting for him near the doorway. “I can square the corners and set grades for you to excavate a few feet deeper so you can stand up straight. Those two changes should allow you to place a number of racks down there. It should only take a couple of days.”

His steps came to an abrupt halt as he heard a familiar voice speak to him from a deeply shadowed corner of the room. “That’s not quite what we had in mind, Mr. Cartwright.” The smell of phosphorous and sulfur wafted through the darkness as a match sputtered and brought a lamp’s wick to flame. The familiar voice continued over the clink of the lamp’s chimney glass being set, “Why don’t you sit down and we’ll discuss our plans.”

He remained frozen looking from father to daughter as everything Adam had tried to pull together earlier came crashing to mind in one sickening tumble. Facing the man at the table, he said, “Louis Castelletti,” with more bravado than he was feeling. “I thought you were…”

“In prison?” the older man interjected. “I was. But I was recently paroled thanks to you.”

“Thanks to me?” Adam scoffed. “I wasn’t consulted in the matter.”

“There was no need. After our first business dealings, you found it more honorable to keep your soon-to-be family out of the legalities. As I recall, you sent away the two main witnesses against me in the worst of the charges. That allowed the city to try me only for running illegal gambling parlors.”

Adam thought back to the events surrounding Melinda’s kidnapping and knew that what Castelletti had said was true. By sending Lloyd away to avoid embarrassment to Melinda’s sister and family, and not reporting the kidnapping, he had lessened the seriousness of the offenses Castelletti was linked to. He had felt it a good decision at the time. Now he wondered if it was wise. “What about the testimony of the women at the brothels? Their statements added to the charges.”

“They did,” the big man laughed, “at first. But in the end, my attorney was able to discredit the women’s lies. None of them had ever worked for me; they had worked for a man named George Salvatore…and he was conveniently dead. In the end, I was sentenced to a few years in prison.” He laughed again, “And that was reduced to months after the goodwill and advocacy generated by a few well-placed gifts to campaign funds. As you can see, I’ve been returned to the life of a law-abiding citizen who has paid his debt to society.”

Turning toward Castelletti’s daughter, Adam said, “I thought there was something familiar about you. You speak like your father. It’s the lingering effect of your governess’s English lessons; I should have put two-and-two together.” He shook his head and sighed deeply. “Lucille Castle. I imagine your name is actually Lucia Castelletti?” Receiving her confirmation, he added, “You may be a beautiful woman, but I see that your heart must be as cold and empty as your father’s.”

Lucia’s intake of breath at the insult was overshadowed by her father’s outrage. “You will keep a civil tongue regarding my daughter! Her only role in this was to bring you to hear of my engineering proposition.”

The young woman found her voice. “My father has told me how you ruined him, Mr. Cartwright.”

Adam’s eyes popped open in surprise. “Ruined him?”

“Yes,” the young woman spat at him, “You chose to send the police to arrest him rather than pay him the money you owed. In Sicily we pay our debts, we don’t destroy people’s lives to get out of doing so!”

A sad chuckle accompanied Adam’s sigh. “Did your father perhaps mention that it was not I who owed him the debt or that he kidnapped my fiancée to extort money from me when the person who had actually borrowed it couldn’t pay it back? I’m also assuming he didn’t tell you how my fiancée was held at a brothel and then shot and left for dead by one of his underlings when she tried to escape.”

She lifted her head imperiously and replied with honed arrogance. “I will not listen to this. Father told me that you are a quick and clever liar and I shouldn’t believe anything you say.”

Her father pointed to the stairway. “Go to your room now. You have done an excellent job in getting Mr. Cartwright here. We will now speak of business and there is no need for you to be present for our negotiations.”

She nodded in obedience to her father, and then locked Adam in a hateful stare. “My father intends to make you pay for what you have done to our family. I hope you get all that you deserve for being a spineless liar.” She swung around, her skirt nearly toppling a chair that had been turned onto a nearby table, and strode from the room with a regal comportment.

“Come sit with me, Mr. Cartwright. We have much to discuss.” Castelletti waited until he heard the door to his daughter’s room latch shut. “My daughter grew up in Sicily and only came to Boston after I was arrested, hoping to be of assistance. She knows that I engage in gambling, but none of the rest. I trust that you will try to tell her what I am really like as you do my bidding, but I warn you now that she is very loyal to her family. It is our way.”

Adam snorted as he stood behind the chair across from his nemesis. “Then you’ll understand when I say that it is my way to refuse to associate with you. Yet, I imagine that if I headed for the door now, I would be dead before I crossed the threshold?”

The older man laughed loudly. “We are not quite so barbaric as to shoot you in the back, but you are right in supposing that you would regret leaving. You really must relax and let me explain.”

As he sat, Adam threw the work folder from Wadsworth Engineering onto the table. “Start talking, Castelletti. I don’t have a lot of time.”

“Now that you are right about,” Castelletti chuckled knowingly. “I’d say you have less than three weeks.” He held his hand up to stop any questions as he saw Adam’s brows dip. “Let us begin. My daughter spoke truthfully; this involves my desire that you repay for what you did to my little empire here in Boston. My business is in tatters, yet I have a few loyal men who are willing to do this project with me before we move out of this confounded city.” He gave Adam a sour look to seal his opinion of the Boston area. “I know Lucia told you to pay careful attention to the building to our east when you were outside.”

“Yes…the bank. Am I to assume you wish to tunnel toward the bank?”

“You are astute. I was able to find out that a huge number of counterfeit bills are coming through the First National Bank of Boston on the third Sunday from now. You may remember that there was so much bogus currency circulating during the Civil War that your President Lincoln formed a group to find the bills and destroy the plates. Such money collected in the eastern states has been sitting in various banks and is being brought to Boston. A Secret Service cadre will escort the transfer of this money to the Philadelphia mint and see to its destruction. For that one weekend though, it will all be in the basement of the bank next door.”

Adam’s face contorted with disbelief. “What do you want with counterfeit money? Hasn’t it been marked in some way?”

“They marked it at first, but since it’s scheduled for destruction, I heard that they didn’t continue the practice. I suspect they feel as you do—that no one will want what they consider unusable. But we already have interested customers in other countries and from the far side of the United States where it will take longer to identify the phony bills and recover them again. Those who purchase from me will recover good money as they make change with the forgeries. By the time anyone realizes there’s a problem, those who put the bad cash back into the money chain will be long gone. We’ve also heard that there are many foreign coins included in the transfer. As you know they are not legal tender in the States any longer, but could prove profitable for a family who does business in Europe. I envision harvesting enough legal tender to help me buy my way back into the gambling business in New York.”2

“I guess the saying is true,” Adam paused as Castelletti gave a questioning grunt, “If there’s an opportunity to do something, even if that something is illegal and murderous, there’ll be someone who will find the way to do it.” Receiving no comment other than a disgusted glare, he continued, “Won’t the Secret Service agents be watching over the cache while it’s next door?”

Castelletti waved his hand dismissively. “They are paid to give their lives in service to their country. I will simply guarantee a medal for their families to cherish after they’re gone.”

Adam stood abruptly, sending his chair flying as he did so. “I can’t be part of this,” he hissed as he leaned forward on the table, bringing his face within inches of Castelletti’s. “You obviously found out that I did tunneling work in the past and figured you could force me into helping you as some sort of twisted attempt to harm me for hastening the decline of your business. But I won’t do it. Kill me if you must, but I will not assist in the death of others to help you.”

A sly, ugly smile crept across Luis Castelletti’s face. “Strange that you should put it that way. That is precisely the reason you will help me.”

“I can’t if I’m dead,” Adam said with eerie calm.

“I have no intention of killing you; you are free to go for now.” He watched as Adam looked toward the front door. “However, your comment about not wanting harm to come to others was most prophetic. You see, I know that you are a principled man and it would hurt you far more to cause pain to an innocent than it would for you to sacrifice your own life. It is in this light that I will offer you a deal.”

Adam righted his chair and sat back down. “Say what you need to.” His mind raced as he considered what this monster might have in mind. Yet he held his face emotionless as he prepared to hear the details.

“All I ask of you is to be a good engineer, just as your reputation indicates you are. I want you to work as you normally do when given a job for your company. In fact, I will pay Wadsworth engineering the going rate for your services. In the next days, you will go to the city and pull the plans for this building and the nearby structures, and file for the proper permits for us to build a wine cellar. That way there will be no questions asked when we bring timbering into the building, a little blasting is heard or a pile of dirt accumulates out back. We don’t need a fancy tunnel; it just needs to withstand blowing through the foundation of the bank without blocking our exit or killing those of us inside it at the time. This should be a simple thing. We are working with a short amount of time but I have enough men that we can work around the clock.”

Castelletti’s toothy smile as he finished speaking made his face look ghoulish. “You look unsettled Mr. Cartwright. What don’t you understand?”

“I understand just fine. But I still won’t help you.”

“Ah,” the chilling smile returned, “you still don’t see it, do you?” The older man clamped his hand securely around Adam’s wrist as he continued to smirk. “When I was in prison, I spent much time figuring out how to hurt you the most. I considered who you are and how you handle yourself. You’re one of those fine men we read about; the ones who freely give their service and life to others regardless of the personal cost. What matters most to you are your ideals, your reputation and your family. In some respects we are alike in this.”

He released his hold on Adam’s arm and stood to pace the room while he continued to speak. “You are an honest man. The men who were with you when we last met—your father and Wadsworth—are honest men as well, so I appreciate that you were molded into who you are by principled people. What makes you more difficult to get around is that you are a powerful and respected man as well. With the power you wield you could easily lean toward the side of graft; turn a blind eye to a bribe or bully others to get what you need. Yet I could imagine no situation where you would do that. You see, you are not only an honorable man, but a noble one as well. If you weren’t, you would have figured out where your fiancée was, rescued her, and then come to kill me for what I had done. Instead, you took down my operation, freed those you thought had been unfairly treated and then protected those you loved from gossip. A man such as that cannot be swayed into doing wrong unless the stakes are too high to do otherwise.”

His pacing brought him behind Adam where he placed his hands on the younger man’s shoulders and leaned to speak into his ear. “I took great pains figuring out how to bring down a nobly honest man and came to realize that I would need to make you seem dishonorable with no way for you to counteract the deceit. How better to do that than by involving you in a crime against the United States Government. You’ll be discredited as an engineer, pinpointed as unscrupulous in your dealings, and for a final touch, I’ll make sure that lovely wife of yours think you are unfaithful. You will be hated and abandoned by everyone you’re trying to protect.” His laughter echoed in the mostly empty room and he clapped as he concluded, “When I’m through with you, Cartwright, you will be glad to die!”

“I won’t do it.”

Castelletti’s smile turned to a mask of rage as he shook Adam’s chair. His voice was a snarl as he spit out his reply within inches of Adam’s face. “You will do it, because if you don’t, I will see to it that your family dies, starting with your grandfather. I will kill your wife myself, and maybe I’ll do what George Salvatore only threatened to do to her before I choke the life out of her.”

Adam thought he would vomit, but breathed deeply to stem the rising bile. He was convinced that Castelletti’s threats were real and yet he knew that he couldn’t just acquiesce to the demands. Although he was trembling, his voice didn’t betray him as he asked brusquely. “So what’s in this for me? I assume you aren’t going to let me live even if I do help you. Mynoble nature might convince others that I was coerced into helping. I’m guessing I’ll die once my work is done, so either way I’m dead and I have no guarantee that you won’t kill my family after I’m gone.”

“Bravo!” Castelletti stepped back and bowed. Placing his hand beside his lips, he spoke an aside to the seemingly empty room. “He finally sees the point, even if all that righteousness makes him a little slow.” Turning again to Adam, he grabbed him by his collar and lifted him until they were nose to nose. “This is the deal, so listen carefully. You will engineer a tunnel for me to get at the money in the bank. You will be involved in its construction so that I know it is done right. And just so you know, if anything happens to me while the tunnel is being built, I’ve left orders for your wife and grandfather to be killed immediately. In fact we might even go after everyone you hold dear.”

The older man breathed heavily from the exertion of his fanfare and released his hold. His words were softer but no less menacing as he continued, “You will do whatever I ask of you without letting anyone know what’s happening. I intend to make your life hell in the days you have left, Cartwright, but at the end I will allow you to die in the knowledge that your family is safe. Remember: if at any time I suspect that you’ve talked to anyone about this, I will make sure you only wish you were dead.”

As Adam grabbed at the lapels of Castelletti’s coat and roughly drew him near again, he heard rustling from the darkest corners of the room. He instinctively released his right hand’s grip and grabbed at his side, realizing in agony that he no longer carried his pistol. Although Castelletti was a broader man, Adam was able to leverage him around and force him into the chair and grab him by the throat. “Tell your men to stand down or I’ll break your neck.” He waited until Castelletti hollered for those watching to mind their manners. “Here’s my deal. I’ll give you one chance to clear out of town and head back to Sicily. Let’s say I’m doing this for your daughter’s sake. If you don’t leave, I’ll take you down again. This time you won’t get back up.”

Adam grabbed his folder from the table, turned and walked toward the door.

“I asked you last time if you had the fortitude to stand behind your words and you proved to me that you are a man to be taken seriously. But this time I hold the winning hand. Youare an honorable man, Mr. Cartwright,” Castelletti shouted at him, “and your honor will bring you back. You best pray you have not lost too much by then.”

Part Two

One – A Marriage Down

Numb. That’s how Melinda felt as she ascended the steps in her house. Her hand was on the stair rail, but she couldn’t feel it beneath her fingers. She could hear her shoe scrape against each step, yet she had no physical attachment to the movement. She was floating, and imagined herself a black storm cloud moving on a current of wind.

She collapsed on the edge of the bed when she finally made it to her room and turned to caress the sheets, resting her head on Adam’s pillow. It was unreasonable to think that his warmth remained, but she willed herself to feel it. They had made love on this bed just hours before and she shivered when she thought of all that happened since then. She now realized that this crazy, unpredictable, and confusing day had been the finale to the craziest, most unpredictable and unbelievable three weeks of her life. In that short time she had lost everything.

She heard Maxine holler from downstairs that she would be up to help with the packing as soon as she finished cleaning out the kitchen. Her friend ended with the admonition for Melinda to “hurry.”

Hurry? How can I hurry? Her mind was as numb as her body and she had to take a moment to think through all that had happened. Maybe there was some sense in it after all…something she’d missed as she’d lived through it…something that would help her understand it now. She thought back to her conversation with Maxine on the day her life began falling to shreds…the day when she’d proclaimed that the secret to marriage was honesty.

There had been little of that recently and she was left to wonder how so much could go wrong so fast. Is this what Miranda felt like the night she found out that her husband had been lying to her? Did my sister feel a clamp tightening around her heart until there wasn’t enough blood circulating to allow her mind and body to work correctly? How did she live through what was happening to her? How do I face the truth that the man I love and trusted with my entire being has been lying to me? How do I go on now that the man I adore has taken a lover and left me?

Melinda thought back and realized again that there had been no warning or sign that things were going wrong. It just happened! Nearly three weeks ago Adam had come home one night seeming distracted. She’d seen him try to be interested as they’d gone to dinner with Sadie and Abel, but he’d drifted away until she had said something to force him back into their conversation again. While they’d walked home from the pub, an out-of-control wagon had careened down the street toward them, nearly hitting Abel and Sadie, and making them jump for cover.  There were no injuries, and although Adam had been shaken by the incident, he’d left as soon as he got the older couple settled back at home, saying he had to see a client.

She had her first chilled inkling that something was amiss when he’d come home hours later, a different man. He’d spent the next week pacing at night instead of sleeping and when she’d questioned him, he’d said that he had a tricky project at work he was thinking through. By the second week, he’d moved out of their home to stay at the jobsite. He’d told her, “They’re working 24 hours a day and they encountered difficulties that caused them to stop work until I arrived the next morning. I need to be there to deal with the problems when they happen or they won’t finish on time.”

Melinda had been heartbroken with his pronouncement, but at the time it had seemed reasonable for him to leave physically since he’d already seemed to have left her behind in every other way. She had seen him try to act normally, but he’d been distracted, distant and irritable. She’d coaxed and cajoled, hoping to get him to tell her what was wrong. She had finally resorted to begging him for answers as to “what was wrong” or “what she had done.” She cringed as she envisioned how pitiful she must have seemed.

But the eye-opening, heart-numbing answer hadn’t come from Adam. It had come as she had lunched with Maxine a few days after Adam’s leave-taking when she had heard a lovely woman at the table behind them tell her companion that she had fallen in love with the engineer who was constructing the wine cellar at her new restaurant…and that the feeling was mutual. The woman had sighed heavily as she’d reported sadly, “The man I’m in love with is Adam Cartwright and he’s married.” Her tone had brightened as she’d continued, “But he’s already moved out of his home and has promised me that he’ll take care of the inconvenient detail of his marriage very soon.”

Melinda jumped now as she had at the restaurant when her fork had slipped from her numb fingers and crashed onto her plate. The impact had splintered the china just as the woman’s avowal had splintered Melinda’s life. Maxine had warned her not to believe what she’d heard…that it all seemed a little too suspicious and convenient a way to hear about this supposed affair. She’d advised waiting and hearing what Adam had to say first.

It hadn’t been easy, but Melinda had waited, impatiently, until Adam returned home to pick up clean clothes and check on her later that day as he had promised he would. She’d confronted him with the woman’s statement and he’d asked, “Do you believe what you heard?” She’d said, “Of course not,” and he asked that she trust him. Yet he hadn’t really “denied” it, and wouldn’t discuss it further or speculate on why the woman would spread lies about him.

During that same visit he’d added to her utter bewilderment when he’d told her that he’d been fired from Wadsworth Engineering. “Frank and I had an argument about the way he thinks I’ve handled some things, including this job.” he’d said and quickly added a promise that he would work things out with Frank once he cooled down a bit.  His final thought before leaving had been that his dismissal would not affect the Sunday plans for the concert and party afterwards. “Frank and I can overlook our personal disputes for a few hours to celebrate,” he’d said as he’d stood with his hand on the door.

She’d asked why he was going back to the jobsite after being fired, and he’d answered, “I always finish what I start.”

He’d left then and her mind had swirled in endless supposition ever since. She wondered why he would continue a project that had cost him his position and kept him in proximity to a woman who spread lies about him. Why would he risk losing everything for this job?

Her questions had no answers other than the thought that haunted her since the day she’d come home saying that she wasn’t pregnant. Was her inability to conceive a child forcing her husband to find someone else who could give him what he wanted so desperately? She knew this wasn’t true, but she’d inflicted a wound in her own heart and it had begun to fester into a soul-deep insecurity.

Maxine brought her back to the present when she appeared in the bedroom doorway. “You haven’t done anything?” she asked. “C’mon, Melinda, we need to get going.” Her voice held the tone of restrained alarm as she asked where Melinda kept her traveling bags.

“They’re in the storeroom off the kitchen,” she replied dully while continuing to rest on Adam’s pillow. She finally sat up and looked at her friend. “What’s this all about, Maxine? I’m so confused. I thought we were supposed to be going to Frank and Marian’s for your party. Why are you rushing me; where am I going…and why?”

“Let me grab your bags and I’ll explain while we pack.” She walked to the bed and touched Melinda’s shoulder and shook it gently. “Start getting things together while I’m gone.”

Alone again, Melinda replayed the events of the current day rather than doing as Maxine had instructed.

Adam had returned early that morning to change for the concert. She hadn’t even considered that he’d continued to attend rehearsals. After all, he’d been “too busy” with the work project to come home.  He’d explained, “The concert hall is directly across the street from where I’m working and they could have found me if there’d been trouble. I attended practice to get away from the pressure of the job.”

It could have made perfect sense if it hadn’t been just another layer of mystery in the weeks of inexplicable behavior on his part.

She’d determined to try one last time to find out what was going on and embraced him as he’d started to change. She’d led him to their bed where they’d made love.

She moaned deeply as she sensed the touch of hands moving over her body as they’d done earlier, almost as if he’d been committing each inch of her to memory. The gentleness had been replaced by intense passion that had left them breathless and spent. Afterwards, while they lay side-by-side, she’d asked him to tell her what was going on. He’d reached for her hand but remained silent. They were two hearts broken from the one they had become. He had finally turned to her and touched her face, saying, “You’ll have to trust me. That’s all I can tell you.”

She’d answered, “I want to trust you, Adam, but why should I when you’ve stopped trusting me. I know you have other things on your mind right now and need to go. But tonight there will be no more secrets or excuses. You will return home with me after the party, and you will tell me everything.”

He’d risen without speaking as she’d completed her thought. “If you can’t do that…” Her voice had faltered but she’d finished, “If you can’t be honest, then don’t come home.”

Her words had sickened her then as now, but she couldn’t go on as she had been. She needed to know how he felt about their marriage, and her ultimatum would force him to answer—either in words or actions. He had kissed her as he’d left, and promised, “You’ll know everything tonight.”

She’d gone to the concert and sat close enough to the stage that she and Adam had been able to exchange shy smiles between numbers, making her believe all would be well soon. The guitars were wonderful accompaniment to the folksongs, but in one of the difficult number in which Adam had to play and sing, he’d lost his concentration and had gone silent while still managing to strum. He had sought her out as a grimace shot across his face, and she’d mouthed the words as she had when they’d practiced together. She’d seen him sigh and smile as he picked up the lyrics again and finished without further problems. He’d even winked and given a small salute at the end of the song. The Pachelbel finale had brought the house to its feet as the last chords echoed in the hall. Adam had given her a wistful smile during the ovation and sent her a kiss as he exited the stage…

Melinda looked around her room, wishing she could stop the memories there. But she couldn’t. She glanced down at her empty ring finger as the final images of the night assaulted her. During the performance she’d rethought her ultimatum and decided to find Adam afterwards to tell him that he should come home…that he could tell her what was bothering him when he was comfortable doing so.

She’d known that she had to catch him outside the concert hall before he got across the street to the job site. He’d told her earlier that he had to go there immediately after the performance to check on the final details of the project since they were completing it that evening. She’d hurried out the side door, and had seen his hat bobbing ahead of her in the exiting crowd. The late afternoon sun created a glare and she’d had difficulty seeing where he was while she’d pushed her way through the knot of people. Finally breaking free, she’d caught sight of him near the street and had closed the distance between them in an unladylike trot. But when she’d made it to within spitting distance, she’d seen that he wasn’t alone. The woman who’d professed herself as Adam’s lover at the restaurant was walking next to him, holding his arm and leaning into his shoulder as she spoke to him. The sight had stopped Melinda dead in her tracks. The woman had glanced back at the same time, and then had stopped as well and had drawn Adam to her in a long, deep kiss.

Melinda’s gasp had made Adam turn. He’d quickly moved the other woman away and come to her, trying to hold her. But she’d cried, “Don’t touch me,” as she batted his hands away and worked her wedding ring from her finger. Maxine had caught up to her, and was standing directly behind her as Melinda reached for Adam’s hand and deposited the ring in it, saying, “When you gave this to me on our wedding day, you said it was to remind me that real love was worth the wait.” She’d used every bit of her strength to keep from sobbing as she’d added, “Perhaps one day you will realize that something so worth waiting for…should have been worth keeping.” He’d looked down, making no response, and she’d finished by asking, “How did stop loving me so quickly, Adam?”

He’d met her eyes then and touched her cheek as he’d spoken softly. “I do love you, Melinda, and will till the moment I die.” He had leaned closer, kissing her forehead. “I’m so sorry for the sadness I’ve caused you.”

“I know that you love me and that you are sorry,” she’d groaned, “but something is so wrong here and I can’t figure it out. Earlier…when we were together,” she’d blushed even as her eyes had flooded with heated tears, “you couldn’t have pretended to love me that much. I know you love me,” she said again, “and yet…” she had sobbed then and struggled to finish. “And yet, I also know that you’re leaving me!”

The other woman had taken Adam’s arm then and pulled him away as she’d told him that they were keeping the others waiting…

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as Melinda heard Maxine struggling to get the valises through the bedroom door, as the final memory from earlier seared her heart.

She had watched Maxine’s reaction to Adam’s betrayal as they’d all stood outside the concert hall, and something had bothered her then about the visual exchange between her friend and her husband. She replayed it in her mind now, and realizing what it was, she glared at the woman in the doorway as she cried out in horror, “You knew that Adam was leaving me, didn’t you Maxine?”

Maxine set the bags down and said tightly, “That’s not quite true.”

Melinda rose to face her eye-to-eye. “I think it is. Tonight you saw me give my wedding ring back, and you saw my husband leave with another woman. But the look I saw you exchange with him was not surprise; it was apologetic. You looked at him as though you felt badly for the scene he’d just been through…kind of like, ‘poor Adam, you don’t deserve this.’”

Melinda’s emotions were building to volcanic proportions as she shouted, “You’re supposed to be my friend, Maxine. Why weren’t you angry for me, and telling him you thought he was making a big mistake? All I can suppose is that you already knew who he had chosen to be with. Has he told you why he’s doing this and do you agree with him?”

Melinda dropped to the floor keening for the death of her marriage. Everything she believed in dissolved around her like pools of emotional quicksand, sucking her deeper—taking her breath away. She gasped deeply as she grabbed Adam’s pillow from the bed and held it to her. “How can he leave me? He promised to love me forever.” Her eyes widened as she looked up and confessed, “I’m terrified, Maxine. Adam’s love gave me courage, but it’s gone now.”

Melinda refused to be comforted as Maxine knelt next to her. She whispered to the air, “I’m so alone. My mother and Miranda have gone to help my sister, my father is in Atlanta training for his new job, and Sadie and Abel are off tending to a sick relative…” Her eyes spilled her newest tears as she pushed Maxine away and ordered, “I want you to leave now. I think you’re rushing me to pack so I’ll be out of here before Adam gets home. But this is my house too and I won’t leave. He owes me an explanation.”

Maxine sat on the edge of the bed, pulled a folded paper from her dress pocket and handed it down to Melinda, saying, “You need to read this.”

Two – The Soon to be Late Adam Cartwright

Adam jumped, and swung around to see who had tapped his shoulder. “What do you want?” he snarled as he saw Lucia Castelletti standing there. “You shouldn’t be down here. I’m finishing the last of the dynamite fusing so we can blow the bank wall. Any spark could set it off.”

“I wanted to see you privately…to tell you how sorry I am for what I’ve done.”

An eye-roll punctuated his sarcasm. “Well, that makes everything fine then.” He blew away the dust that had settled on his lips as he’d bored holes into the dirt and stone and asked, “What exactly are you sorry about, Lucia: bringing me here in the first place, lying about an affair or torturing my wife outside the concert hall today?”

“I was thinking mostly about what happened earlier. I had expected she would be angry, but she looked terrified and hurt. I had not expected that.”

“That’s what happens when you play games with people’s lives, Lucia. Someone will always get hurt.” He watched as Louis Castelletti’s daughter bit her lips and picked at her nails. “Are you perhaps beginning to see the truth in what I’ve been telling you about your father? Unlike you, he actually takes delight in hurting others. I’ve known men like him before but he’ll be the last one since he means to see me dead as soon as that wall is blown and he can make off with the treasure that he thinks lies beyond it.”

“You are so dramatic, Adam.” She said sternly as she checked behind her to make sure no one was coming through the tunnel. “My father has no intention of blowing up that wall. It has all been a test. He wanted to push you to the verge of losing everything to make you understand how much damage your interference cost him. This will end soon and you will be on your way while we use the tunnel and this chamber as a root cellar for our restaurant.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. “You believe that?” He saw her nod in the affirmative. “How can he let me go, Lucia? I’ll tell others about what’s been going on.”

She returned his look of disgusted impatience with one of practiced arrogance. “What have you to tell? We hired you to do a job and you did it. During that time it will appear that you made a few questionable choices that your employer didn’t agree with, resulting in your firing. And while working here, you developed a fondness for the owner’s daughter, leaving your wife to suspect your infidelity. My father will pay Wadsworth for your services and I will even ease your wife’s concerns as you go forward repenting and repairing the damage your peccadillos have caused.”

The arrogance fractured a bit as she admitted, “There have been times in this process when I’ve wondered why my father has such hatred for you. You seem a man above reproach in how you’ve handled all that has happened. I must believe that my father’s reasons are just…and yet…”

“And yet?” he repeated sadly. “I’ve told you the true circumstances behind your father’s hatred of me. I’ve explained how your father preyed on the weakest of men and when they couldn’t repay their gambling debts, they were ‘encouraged’ to convince the women who loved them into working it off. I’ve even let you read the stories from my wife’s manuscript about the women from the brothel.”

Lucia covered her ears and looked down. “Stop it. I don’t want to hear this again!”

“But you need to, Lucia,” he said gently while lifting her chin to make her look at him. “You have to realize that your father isn’t going to let me walk away from this. I’m expendable like everyone else who threatens him.”

“My father didn’t run brothels!”

“You’re right. He didn’t dirty his hands with their operation, but he owned them and his gambling organization ensured a steady supply of new flesh for them. Those women were usually poor, but they weren’t prostitutes, Lucia. Most of them thought they would work as maids or waitresses and ended up on their backs having their dignity stripped further by every man who walked in and molested them. Recall that image next the time you wonder why your father is going to kill me. I helped expose your father for what he really is and he didn’t like that. He needs to destroy me so he can pretend he isn’t a monster. But he is; he’s evil and petty and can’t abide anyone who stands up to him.”

The hands that had been covering Lucia’s ears now flew to her mouth as she cried out before running away. Adam shook his head as he watched her go and then finished the last fuse junction. He couldn’t worry any more about Lucia. She had all the evidence she would need to make a decision: the rest was up to her.

He gave the set up a final check, and headed upstairs. He prayed as he made his way through the tunnel, asking God’s mercy for what he was about to do, and that should he die, his death might serve to put Louis Castelletti away forever.

Lucia was making her way into the dining room with her father in tow as Adam exited the stairway. “Tell him, Papa!” she commanded. “Tell him that he is free to go now. He has done everything you asked. You know that he has not told anyone what was going on and I can vouch that his wife knows nothing either. He has lived up to his promise and took his punishment with dignity, so you must do as you promised me.”

The older man’s chuckle was deep and humorless. “You always were a fool, Lucia, and much like your mother in this. You live in fairy tales and liked the little drama I set out for you to star in. Mr. Cartwright saw no guile in you or he never would have come. You were perfect in your role, my dear.”

She cried out, “Stop, Papa. I will have no part in a man’s death. I’m ashamed of you for even teasing me about this.”

Louis grabbed his daughter’s arm roughly and yanked her close. “So you have fallen for the man’s charm. I should have known as much and kept you away from him. His death is on my hands alone. That should make you feel less guilty for your part. He will die tonight and I will be done with him so that he no longer haunts my dreams.”

Her voice rose in pitch as she asked. “But why? What is it you need from him that would make you murder him?”

“Respect,” he spat at Lucia. “See, even now he looks at me with disdain. I hold the key to his life and yet he refuses to even show me a glimpse of submission or fear. I cannot allow his disrespect to continue. He made me into a laughing stock among my friends. It is fortunate that before his death he will make it possible for me to get at the money next door. It will benefit me in my plans, and obtaining it through this honorable man’s efforts will make it all the sweeter.”

“Money?” she scoffed. “Mother has all the money you could ever need. Why do you steal what you could simply ask for?”

The slap he laid across her face echoed in the empty room. “Shut up, Lucia. You prove your ignorance with every word you utter. I would not take your mother’s money. She always held it over me that her family had money while mine lost theirs. She never gave me anything without making me grovel for it and then laughed when I would run into business troubles. I will never ask for anything again. I am Louis Castelletti and I take what I want.” He shook her, “And if people cower in fear as I take it, all the better.”

Lucia pulled from his grasp and looked at Adam, confessing, “Everything you told me is true,” before running from the room.

Castelletti’s men moved to stop her departure, but he waved them off. “Let her be. She will wail a bit, but she’s of no danger to us. We must go down now and finish.” He looked back in the direction his daughter had run and motioned a young man in his group over. “Stay up here and make sure she doesn’t go into the tunnel.”

***

“Tell us again how this will work, Cartwright,” Castelletti ordered as he and his men crowded into the small chamber bordering the bank’s exposed stone foundation.

Adam spoke in a strong voice, giving no evidence of the dread he was feeling inside. “I sent word to the bank and neighborhood police that there would be blasting today, so I doubt the agents over there will question what’s happening until the wall collapses. Expect them to be armed and curious by the time you get in there, but you will have surprise on your side. I’d imagine they’ll think that something went terribly wrong over here rather than that they’re being robbed, and you know what to say to put them at ease as you enter.”

Castelletti reminded his men, “Once they lower their weapons you’re going to have to disarm them or shoot them quickly and secure the basement before we can start to transfer the cash.” He turned again to Adam. “Go on now; tell us again how the blast will affect us and what we’ll do after the smoke clears.”

“The blast won’t eliminate the wall, but should dislodge enough rocks to send men through. The area in front of the exposed portion of wall is shored up and should hold well, but we’ll have to stand in the tunnel to avoid the barrage of stone and mortar. I can’t guarantee that the far sides of this chamber will hold, so again, everyone needs to be in the tunnel during detonation.” He looked at the men, “Mr. Castelletti has already assigned two of you to go through first and the rest will stay here to form a transfer line through the tunnel. Trying to run back and forth in that limited space would only hold things up. The men upstairs will transfer the bags to the wagon in the alley. Once enough money is transferred to suit Castelletti, you’ll all exit the tunnel and join the wagon.”

“Very good, Mr. Cartwright.” Castelletti clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “A pity you can’t be turned from your honorable ways. You are exceptionally intelligent and would be invaluable in future endeavors.” He hooked his thumbs in his coat and surveyed the chamber and tunnel with pride. “I said we could get this done in two weeks, but I seriously didn’t believe it possible. All has gone better than expected. Lucia is right, you did live up to your end of the bargain, and you may rest in peace knowing that your wife and family won’t be harmed. In fact I will be out of Boston for good by midnight if all goes as planned.”

Adam refused to acknowledge the promise and said only, “If you’ll all head into the tunnel, I’ll light the fuse.” When the chamber was cleared he took a lamp, raised the chimney and lit the fuse before heading toward the shelter of the tunnel as well.

Castelletti barred his entrance. “Your usefulness has ended. You will stay in your little chamber and experience the blast first hand. If the explosion doesn’t kill you, I will have pity and order a bullet to your head.”

With the death sentence pronounced, the heavy wooden barrier Adam had fashioned to protect the tunnel during the explosion was pulled into place, isolating him from those safely on the other side. He barely had time to utter, “God have mercy on my soul,” as he dove to the far side of the chamber.

The blast shattered the silence with a roar. Shrapnel flew as the chamber’s timbering failed, burying Adam in a tomb of stone, dirt and wood.

Three – The Letter

Melinda scanned the sheet of paper Maxine had handed her, recognizing Adam’s writing. “Where did this come from?” she asked her friend in a voice heavy with the fatigue of grief.

“It was in the program Frank was handed at the concert tonight. Adam must have arranged it.”

“How did you get it? I never saw Frank hand you anything.” Her eyes lit with a spark of interest.

Maxine laid her arm around Melinda’s shoulders as she explained. “You remember how Marian took you over to examine those tapestries?” She received Melinda’s nod. “Frank had asked her to distract you for a bit so he could talk to Les and me and afterwards gave me the note to have you read when I thought it would be of most use.”

“I don’t understand,” she whispered as she wiped at her tears and tried to focus on the writing. “Would you read it to me? My eyes are blurry.”

Taking Melinda’s hand, Maxine began, “Frank. I suspect you already know most of what I’m writing about. I do wonder how soon you figured it out. My guess is that you knew some of it before I did. You have of course found out that Louis Castelletti is out of prison and that it was his daughter who came to the office. He sees me as the root of all the misfortune he has endured since dealing with us last time. As you must suspect, he threatened to kill Melinda and Abel if I didn’t cooperate. I had walked away after my first encounter with him, and the near miss with the wagon almost hitting Abel was my warning to come back to the table. Since my grandfather and Sadie are off visiting a sick relative that I don’t believe exists, I’m assuming you figured that out too and got them out of town. I admit that having two less people to worry about was a godsend. I thank you for that.

“You might not be sure of what I’m doing for Castelletti, although Les wouldn’t be the man you trust if he didn’t check into what’s happening at the bank next door. The plan is to take counterfeit and foreign currency being stored there. It will take place tonight after the concert. I’ve gone along with it only because he told me that if anything happened to him, or I tried to alert anyone to what I was doing, Melinda would be killed immediately. I’m sorry this whole thing dragged out so long, but I needed to put things in place to make sure Castelletti won’t walk away from it this time.

“What is greatest in my favor is that Castelletti has made a deadly error by underestimating us again—it is his greatest shortcoming. When I went over the originals drawings for the bank, I found an old foundation along the edge of Castelletti’s property that was never removed. The bank’s foundation is beyond that. I built a tunnel and anteroom up to this redundant wall and I’ll set the charge to blow only through that tonight rather than both. The tunnel will survive the blast, but the chamber will not. I engineered that room to collapse as a way to expose the plan. I’d ask that you not interfere with the proceedings until after the blast when the rats can be collected as they scurry out through the restaurant or the remains of the room. Castelletti might have been able to bribe local officials in the past to support his cause, but trying to rob a national bank makes this a federal crime and he’ll be dealing with a very formidable and unforgiving Secret Service this time.

“My greatest sadness in all of this is what my actions have done to Melinda. It wasn’t enough for Castelletti to ruin my career; he wants those left behind to loathe my memory. Since Maxine was with Melinda when Lucia made her avowals at the restaurant, you must be aware of my ‘affair.’ Melinda has been strong throughout this ordeal, and while I’m sure she has no idea why I’m acting as I have been, she continues to trust that there must be a reasonable explanation.

“I know you didn’t believe that city planning clerk’s claim that I’ve been bribing him for permits without doing the proper paperwork. However, I do appreciate your indignity over the matter in the loud argument and the call for my resignation. It helped to convince Castelletti that I was playing his game.

“You know that Castelletti will not allow me to live. I’ll try to prevent this eventuality, but if I don’t make it, Frank, I need you to send Melinda away tonight. You know where she’ll be safest. After that, I trust that you’ll follow through and eradicate Castelletti’s influence so that Melinda can come home again. I put her life your hands, certain that you will honor me by caring for her and keeping an eye on Abel.

“And if I haven’t already asked too much of you, I would ask that you help Melinda to understand why I couldn’t tell her what was going on. My beloved is a gentle and honest soul, and I knew that if she had any suspicion that I was being threatened, her reaction would have endangered her. I know this sounds dramatic, but I believe Castelletti’s threats. He’s hardened even further since last we saw him. He’s become desperate and has convicted me of besting him when no one else had been able to do that. He’s dangerous and most probably losing his mind as well.

“I thank you for all that you have ever done for me and appreciate that you will take care of what I cannot. Give my love to Marian and thank her too.

With Sincerity and Gratitude,

Adam”

Melinda was pacing the room by the time Maxine finished. “Did Frank really know what was happening?”

“He had Les check into that Lucille Castle after she came to the office.  Something about her bothered Frank, but by the time Les figured out that Castelletti was free and the one behind Adam’s ‘job’ it was too late to intervene without making things worse. He and Frank had to wait until Adam could let them know what he needed them to do.”

“What was that about a clerk and bribery?”

“Some sleazy guy that doesn’t even work for the city any longer, told Frank that Adam had paid him to falsify documents for several jobs recently. Frank knew it was a lie but figured it was part of whatever was going on and had a loud argument with Adam at work and dismissed him. He made it look good so if there were any moles in the office they’d report the incident to Castelletti.”

The magnitude of what was going on finally broke through Melinda’s fog and she hurriedly began gathering items to pack. “Why couldn’t Adam just tell someone what was going on?”

“He felt that Castelletti’s threats to kill you and Abel were real. You told me that Adam changed the night that the horse cart nearly hit his grandfather. I don’t think you made the connection of that particular incident, but that’s when he sold his soul to Castelletti. When Les told us what he’d found out, he was adamant that no one could attempt to intervene. He spoke privately to me and said that if I’d try to make this easier for you or give you hints of what was happening, I would ensure a horrible outcome. He trusted that Adam knew what he was doing.”

Melinda hesitated while moving a pile of Adam’s shirts to the bed for Maxine to pack. “I should take things for Adam too, shouldn’t I?”

Maxine didn’t have the heart to tell Melinda that Adam might not be making any trips if what he assumed to be his final outcome proved true. “Of course, honey,” she said instead, “we’ll put enough clothing in these bags for a week and I’ll send anything else you need after I know where you’ll be. I’ll come back and close out the house once you’re safe too. I’ve already cleaned out the kitchen so you won’t find any critters living there when you return.” She didn’t say that she’d been checking the yard to make sure they hadn’t been followed at the same time.

A knock from below sent Maxine running with an admonition for Melinda to stay put. She returned quickly with a note and a concerned frown.

“Your face tells me that something’s wrong, Maxi. What’s in that note?”

“It’s from Les. We’re to complete the packing and then go with the men waiting for us downstairs. He wants us at that restaurant where Adam’s been working.”

“Is it all over then?” Melinda asked hopefully. “Adam’s safe and Castelletti’s been arrested?”

“It’s over. Frank and Les waited around after the concert and saw the whole thing. Les had notified the police to be ready to move and Castelletti’s men were rounded up right after the chamber collapsed, just as Adam planned.” Maxine gulped and bit her cheeks to keep from crying, “But Castelletti was able to escape out the crater, and they haven’t found Adam. Castelletti’s men said that Adam was pushed into the area where the dynamite exploded, and they figure he must be…um…under the rubble.”

The numbness returned as Melinda realized the meaning of Maxine’s well-chosen words. “You’re saying that Adam is presumed dead?”

Maxine crammed clothing into carpet bags. “Let’s get this done and head over there. Les wants you to be ready to move out and while he feels he should send you away without stopping, he knows you won’t go anywhere until they…ah…find Adam.” She stopped and embraced Melinda. “Let’s not assume anything yet, all right? Knowing your husband, he had something up his sleeve and if anyone could figure out a way to stay alive, it’s him.”

Four – The Wonders of Good Engineering

Melinda exited the carriage feeling overwhelmed by the events of the day. Her coat weighed her down as surely as if it had been woven of lead fibers, and each step she made required monumental effort as she moved across the street toward the building where Adam had been working. There was no moonlight illuminating the early deep darkness of night, but a number of torches burned at the edge of a small crater in the lot near the bank. She stared at the display wondering if she was looking at her husband’s grave. Yet, while the torches kept vigil, Melinda noted that there was no activity at the hole and made the assumption that whatever had happed to Adam, it was a fait accompli. With what strength she could muster, she squared her shoulders, steeled her spine, and breathed deeply to supply her rattled mind with enough oxygen to make it through the next few minutes.

She allowed Maxine to assist her to the building as she concentrated on the simple task of getting one foot to follow the other. When they met Les near the door, she tried to ask what had happened, but her words dissolved into clouds of vapor in the cool, spring-night air.

Melinda came to an abrupt halt inside as she noticed several men sitting across the room at a table in what had once been a large dining area, and drew a sharp breath when she noticed the dark-haired head and back of the very dirty and tattered center of the group’s attention. She looked to Les who smiled and leaned over to say quietly, “That husband of yours is quite an engineer. He dug himself out of a little bunker shortly after I sent the note to your house. From what he’s told those Secret Service men, he figured Castelletti would prevent his leaving during the detonation and had engineered a safe haven at the edge of the chamber.” Les chuckled softly. “He put in a number of air vents along the tunnel and made sure there was one in that area too.  He also placed a lamp hook there so he had fresh air and light in his cozy tomb for the time it took him to get out. I’ll never know how he did that without anyone else catching on, but he is ingenious.”

“He is that,” she sighed and blinked back her joyful tears before asking, “I don’t think he knows I’m here so should I wait until he’s done before going to him? I don’t know how much trouble he’s in and would hate to disturb them or interfere and make it worse.”

“He’s talking with the police and the Secret Service agents and they should be done soon. All he could talk about at first was seeing you. They finally got him calmed down and talking after I told him you were on the way. Castelletti’s daughter has already told them the whole story, and absolved Adam of any wrongdoing so I don’t think he’s in ‘trouble’ as such. Yet, you might want to allow him to finish and then let him know you’ve arrived.”

She thought of the young woman who had kissed Adam and led him away earlier and a sour look crossed her face. “Why would Castelletti’s daughter help him? Wasn’t she the one who got Adam into this mess in the first place? Like father, like daughter, I’d presume.”

Les shook his head as he pulled Melinda farther into the shadows of a hallway where he could speak without whispering. “I haven’t been able to get the whole story, but it seems that Castelletti lied to her about the circumstances behind what Adam had done, and during the time Lucia spent with Adam, he convinced her of the truth.”

Melinda peeked around the edge of the door at her husband again as she said, “I guess I may have to rethink my opinion of her.”

Les eased her back into the shadows again so he could tell her more. “The one loose end to this is that Castelletti got away. I don’t think he could have gone far, but we’re still searching for him and I need you to be careful until he’s found. Maxine went into the kitchen to check with Marian and Frank about some arrangements for later.” He pointed toward a door further back in the building. “Maybe you could stay with them until Adam finishes up. I need to find out what’s happening with the search for the old man.”

Adam happened to look around and caught sight of Les and Melinda as they spoke. A wide smile broke through the dirt and blood that had dried into a mask on his cheeks.

The young Secret Service agent grasped Adam’s arm when he shoved his chair back and stood. “Please sit down, Mr. Cartwright. I saw her too, but the sooner we get your side of this story, the sooner we can get you both to safety. Your reunion can wait a bit longer.”

Adam turned to him, “This one can’t wait, Mr. West. I won’t be long.”

James West3 smiled appreciatively as the couple met in the middle of the room. He saw that the woman was in tears as she touched Adam’s bloody cheek and he silenced her scolding with a kiss. Must be the one he was trying to protect through all this.

For West, marriage was out of the question right now. He had been recruited into the Secret Service in recognition of his meritorious actions in the Civil War and he was scheduled to enter a training program for an elite branch of the department as soon as the mission to get all the counterfeit money to Philadelphia was completed. Yet as he watched the Cartwrights in their display of obvious deep affection, he found himself hoping that if he settled down, he and his bride would be as devoted as this couple seemed to be.

He looked back at his notes, reviewing the information he’d received so far.  It struck him again what a skilled engineer Adam must be to have constructed an underground system to collapse only where he wanted it to. Maybe I should talk to Cartwright about joining the Secret Service, he considered thoughtfully.

Beyond Adam’s obvious intellect, West had been even more impressed by the answer he’d been given when he’d asked why Adam didn’t just figure a way to drop the entire system on Castelletti and his gang. The explanation was that it would have put others in the same position he was in and to Adam’s way of thinking, he would have had to stoop to the same level of depravity as Castelletti to do that.  And despite all that had happened, Cartwright still believed it was the duty of the justice system to impose sentencing rather than for him to make that decision.

After allowing for a few minutes of conversation between the Cartwrights, West called out, “If you’ll come back now, we can get this report completed and you can leave. I’m sure you’re anxious to get out of here.”

Five – Evil’s Last Stand

It had felt so good to hold Adam, especially since there’d been doubt that she would ever feel his arms around her again. He’d asked her if she’d seen the note he’d gotten out to Frank, saying that he’d explain it all later, and then expressed his sorrow that they had been drawn into Castelletti’s web again. She’d given her great thanks that he was alive, even if he was filthy and banged up. She’d tasted blood and dirt as she’d kissed him and realized that in this case it was the taste of life, and kissed him again and again, and then they’d simply held each other until he was called back to finish with the man called, West.

Les was speaking to someone else when she completed her reunion, so she made her way back to the kitchen, finding only Maxine and a young man. “I thought Frank and Marian were here,” she said as she entered.

Maxine ran to her with a huge smile. “What a wonderful outcome!”

“Yes it was. But how did you know he was all right before I did? You must have known since you left me as soon as we walked in.”

“I could tell by Les’s expression that all was well.” She blushed, “The two of us can communicate with a look as well as words already. I left because I figured you’d want to be alone with Adam, and I heard Frank talking back here.”

Melinda nodded. “So where is Frank?”

“He wanted to stay and see you, but he felt it was better to get moving to finalize some arrangements. He had a job for Marian to do as well and took her along. But they promised they’ll see you later.” Maxine took Melinda’s hand. “I’m sorry about all the mystery. It was hard to decide how to handle things when my job overlapped my friendship. In the end, I had to do what was best for you, even if it meant letting you think the worst.” She breathed easier as Melinda nodded and smiled. “Did Les have any idea how much longer they’d be speaking with Adam?”

“Not long,” Melinda replied as she looked around the room, “but you never know how long it will take once a group of men get talking.” She nodded toward the young man standing by the cupboards. “Who’s that?” she asked.

“He worked for Castelletti, but wasn’t involved in the attempted robbery tonight. He was left to watch Miss Castelletti and helped the police round up the gang when he figured out what was going on.”

The young man’s voice was thickly accented as he spoke out. “My name is Antonio, Miss. I come from Sicily with Miss Castelletti…her mother hire me to make sure she was safe on the trip, and her father hire me here to help build a wine cellar. I heard talk of it being used for some other purpose, but believed Lucia,” his cheeks turned pink, “I mean Miss Castelletti, when she say it was all some sort of foolery between Mr. Cartwright and her father.” He tipped his hat. “I’m relieved to know that all is well, and was most happy to help the police. I will have to talk to them again to give a full account, but now I must go look for Mr. Castelletti.”

Both women expressed their pleasure at meeting him as he left out the back door. Melinda spoke first once they were alone. “And where is Miss Castelletti?”

“Antonio said she went up in her room.”

“I see,” she said while peering out the window. When Maxine left the room to check on what Les wanted her to do next, Melinda slipped out the back door and took a better look towards the crater’s edge confirming that she had seen a woman’s silhouette highlighted by torchlight. Her steps in the thick dewy grass made little noise as she neared the other woman, but her stealth was ruined as she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness!” at seeing the depth and destruction within the pit.

Lucia Castelletti turned to Melinda wearing a similar expression of awe. “It does make you wonder how he survived, does it not, Mrs. Cartwright?”

Melinda nodded as she regained her composure. “When I heard that there was a collapse, I never envisioned anything this deep or ragged.”

The younger woman removed her shawl and placed it around Melinda’s shoulders. “You’re shivering. I think they call it shock when you begin to shiver after experiencing something that…” she thought for a moment and chuckled, “I guess the phrase I am looking for is, shocks you.” She smiled kindly. “All I know is that you are to keep warm when that happens or it can have bad effects.”

“I’ve heard something like that myself. Thank you.” Melinda drew the fabric tightly around her to stop the tremors. “I really don’t understand what was going on here the last three weeks, but I do thank you for clearing Adam’s name from the mess. I heard that you told the police what actually happened.”

“I do not know how to tell you how sorry I am.” Lucia bowed her head for a moment before addressing Melinda again. “It was all to be a joke…” She bit her lip as she thought. “No, that is not right. Father said it was a repayment for bad deeds done by your husband. He said that Adam owed him money and turned him over to the police instead of paying it.” Hearing Melinda’s gasp and seeing the look of fierce anger in her eyes, Lucia quickly continued, “Do not worry, I learned the truth along the way. I know my father had you kidnapped back then and that you nearly died during the ordeal. I’ve come to accept that my father is a consummate liar and he used my affection to help him with his dirty work.  Please believe that it was only tonight that I realized that he meant to kill Adam or I would have intervened sooner.”

Melinda had to assume that Lucia was being truthful, even though the young woman’s features held an odd sort of imperiousness that belied her words. “What changed your mind about your father? Was it only the lie about allowing Adam to live?”

The haughtiness was replaced by a knowing smile. “You must know how persuasive your husband can be. Adam and I would talk when I came down to see how the construction was coming along or when I found him in the dining room working over his schematics late into the night. He explained what that place you were held was like, and how you and your family helped the women who were rescued. He even brought pages from a book you are writing so that I could read their stories.”

“I was wondering where those pages went. Did that help to convince you?”

“Yes, and yet Papa had warned me to be ready to hear lies about him. It was not until tonight that the scales irrevocably tipped against my father. I realized that he was the liar and began to believe that Adam was as sincere as he had always seemed.” Lucia touched Melinda’s shoulder. “You write beautifully. You made me feel that these women just want a chance to tell the world what they went through and that they will use their fresh starts wisely.”

“So you really did read it,” Melinda said with a tone indicating her surprise. She stepped closer and took the young woman’s hand. “You must be feeling confused right now. It is never easy to have to face the truth when it’s not what you’ve believed it to be.”

“I was confused the entire time the tunnel was being built, but tonight I had a moment of pure clarity. I saw that my father had kidnapped you again, only this time your husband was going to pay the ransom with his life. Papa used the love and the strong bond between you and your husband to his advantage. I always thought that he loved my mother and me but I was wrong. He said ugly and hurtful things about both of us tonight and I saw that there was no love for anyone left in him. His heart is ruled by hate.” She squeezed Melinda’s hand. “I am sorry that I tried to make you think that Adam was unfaithful. Papa had men following you and they came to get me when you went to that restaurant so you would overhear me. The truth is that Adam never stopped talking about you the entire time he was here. And each time he did, his eyes would light up.”

Melinda was impressed with Lucia’s words, while still feeling wary about the entire conversation. “If you were feeling uneasy about the charade, then why the kiss outside the concert hall earlier? Surely that was meant to hurt me and sever the bond you speak so highly of.”

Lucia’s lips pulled to thin line before she laughed tightly. “You should know that kissing him was like kissing a rock. There was no response. Since your husband has too much fire to be so unresponsive, I must assume he withheld his warmth because it was I who kissed him. As to the reason; it is simple. I turned and saw you following us and had to stop you. If you had made it to the restaurant or my father had seen you, he would have assumed that Adam had broken his agreement to not alert anyone to his predicament.” She saw Melinda’s look of chagrin. “I think it worked well, did it not?”

Nodding her agreement, Melinda admitted soberly, “It not only stopped me from following you, it caused me to truly fear for Adam. I misunderstood the kind of danger he was in but not the fact of it.” A moment of silence lay between the two women until Melinda said, “We should head back inside. It’s chilly and I notice that now you’re shivering too.”

As the two women turned, they found their way being blocked by Louis Castelletti. “My, my, this is an interesting tea party. Here is my daughter and Mrs. Cartwright having a little chat while I am forced to hide like a rabbit pursued by the hounds.” He reached to touch Melinda’s face but she pulled back and he slapped her instead. “You are a beautiful but taxing woman,” he growled. “The last time I saw you, I thought you were dead. If I’d known you’d be this much trouble, I would have assured it.”

Melinda remained silent as she stood tall and looked directly into his eyes. She had learned that from Adam. It didn’t matter that she felt like vomiting or that her knees were knocking under her petticoats. What mattered was that Castelletti didn’t know it.

The big man pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at her chest. “I have had a belly full of Cartwrights. I snuck past the building on the way over here and saw your husband inside so it does appear that he cheated death too. Oh, well,” he laughed, “I told your husband that you would die if he betrayed me in any way. It will haunt him more to be alive if you are…not. So it is a perfect ending to an imperfect plan.”

As Castelletti pulled the hammer back on his pistol, his daughter stepped in front of Melinda. “You will not kill anyone tonight, Father. You have caused this woman enough grief and it was not Mr. Cartwright who alerted the authorities, it was I. After you insulted mother and called me stupid I went to the local precinct.”

He groaned loudly. “Why is it my bane in life to deal with disrespectful idiots? It does not matter. Your body won’t stop the bullet and I will simply take two dreadful women down with one pull of the trigger.” He moaned again as he leveled the gun at his daughter’s heart. “Why do you make me do this, Lucia?”

***

“I think we have all that we need for now, Mr. Cartwright and I know that the security agent from your company is anxious to get you somewhere safe.” James West shook Adam’s hand. “Thank you for all the help. I can’t imagine how long it would have taken to round up all that counterfeit money again if Castelletti’s plan had succeeded. Having foreign connections would have given him a wide market for distribution.”

“That’s what I thought as well,” Adam agreed. “All I know for certain is that I’d really like to get cleaned up and then sleep for a couple of weeks.”

“If you ever decide that you’d like to chase down criminals on a regular basis, you can get in touch with me and I’ll put a good word in for you. We could use someone with your skills and grit.”

They were all still talking when they were startled by the sound of gunshots from outside. Adam looked around the room. His face paled as he shouted, “Where’s Melinda?”

Maxine ran to the kitchen and hollered back, “She was in here. She didn’t come this way, so she must have gone out the back.”

The room cleared as Adam led the agents and police through the back door. They all stopped abruptly as they saw a man with a gun standing over what appeared to be three bodies lying in the grass. The young Antonio was straddling the largest mound and he tossed his gun to the side as he saw the drawn weapons of the group before of him. His face was washed in orange from the nearby torch as he spoke. “I shot Castelletti. He is quite dead. He tried to kill Miss Lucia and the other lady.”

Adam ran to Melinda who was struggling to sit up. “Are you in one piece?” he asked with a shaky voice, and assisted her to stand with shakier hands.

“I’m fine,” she replied as she dusted herself off, “thanks to Lucia. Castelletti was about to shoot both of us when she pushed me down and fell on top of me. His shot went over our heads and that young man got him before he could shoot again.  The old fool dropped on top of us.”

Adam reached down to assist Lucia. “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear as he helped her to her feet.

Five – On a Rail Car Bound for Somewhere

“Ouch!” Adam crabbed as he sat in a sloshing tub of hot water and suds. “You’re taking skin off with the dirt.”

Melinda lathered the washcloth and began scrubbing again. “So sorry, my love, it seems there are abrasions under all that grime. I’ll use more soap and less muscle.” She looked at her surroundings as she went back to bathing her dirty husband. “I still can’t believe how beautiful this rail car is. It’s like we’re in a fine hotel on wheels.”

“In essence we are. Frank told me that this car was bought and decked-out by a wealthy Boston family. After riding in it only once, the wife declared it a leviathan and wouldn’t step foot in it again.”

“Marian told me that the poor woman suffered from something like seasickness with the swaying.” She rinsed her cloth and finished wiping down Adam’s neck. “Her loss is our gain, I suppose,” she chuckled, “and it was generous of Frank to rent it for us. But I don’t know why we still had to leave after Castelletti was killed. Didn’t his death end the threat against us?”

Adam yawned loudly. “Yes, but Castelletti said that he had given orders for us to be killed if anything happened to him, and it’s possible that he gave those orders to someone outside his immediate minions. Les and Lucia are going to work with the police to figure out who else might still have ties to Castelletti and ensure that we’re safe for good.” He reached up to grasp her wet hand. “We should be able to return in a few weeks, and by that time we’ll be heading to London.”

Melinda took another look around and avowed, “Well, if one has to scurry from town in the middle of the night, this is certainly the way to do it!”

After Melinda and Lucia had given their statements about the last moments of Louis Castelletti’s life, Les and Maxine had rushed Adam and Melinda to the rail yards where the private car was in wait. Frank thought it the best means of travel since the car could be nestled between two others containing security men to make sure there were no further attempts on the couple’s lives as they got away from Boston.

Marian had arranged for the car to be stocked with an abundance of food and drink and had sent word ahead to various stations to provide meals as the train passed through. The car had a bedroom with a tub and commode behind a screen, as well as a separate sitting room. The space was tight, but not cramped.

The couple had been given a sendoff by Les and Maxine, and both Wadsworths. Even the Secret Service agent, West, had come along to make sure the Cartwrights got off safely. They were on their way now but a tense aura lingered as the couple was getting things done.

His voice was husky with exhaustion as Adam remarked on something he’d noticed when the group had been there earlier. “Did you see Agent West looking around? He mentioned that with a few modifications a similar car might work well to transport teams of Secret Service to places they need to be. I think it makes great sense, but I doubt the government will want to pay for it.”

“Mhmm,” Melinda muttered as she helped him step out of the sloshing tub and dried him off. “Lucky this bathtub has a lip on it,” she laughed as she pulled the plug, releasing the soapy water out onto the tracks below the car, “or we’d have a tidal wave going through the middle of the sitting area.” Once dry, she presented Adam with a set of blue satin pajamas.

“Where’d these come from?” he laughed. “They’re kind of dandyish for my tastes.”

“A gift from Marian,” she replied as she slid the top up his arms and turned him to close the buttons. “There’s a beautiful nightgown for me too. Marian said that by having these handy we wouldn’t have to unpack anything until tomorrow.”

“That’s our Marian, always thinking ahead.” He ran his hand down the smooth surface of the sleeve and chuckled. “Do you suppose this is what Frank wears?” His chuckling became giggling as his fatigue and the brandy he’d consumed with Frank’s encouragement to “take the chill off” took effect. “Hold on tight to me tonight, sweetheart, or I’ll slide right out the side of the bed when we go around a curve.”

Adam stepped into the satin bottoms and moved gingerly toward the bed after receiving Melinda’s admonition to “behave himself.” The pain and stiffness brought on by his tumble and the crush of the cave-in had been at bay while his adrenalin had been pumping, but now his joints and back were tight and unyielding. “That bath felt good, but now I’m feeling as Methuselah must have at age 899 or so.”

Melinda assisted him onto the soft mattress and tucked him in. “A good night’s sleep will do wonders. You’ll feel 500 years younger in the morning,” she teased, and then kissed his head.

“You’re angry with me,” he said without preamble as he took at her arm to keep her from walking away. “You were relieved and loving toward me at the restaurant when you found out I was alive, but since then you’ve been perfunctory and cool. I can see you battling your feelings, but you’re hurt and upset, and I know I’m to blame. I’m so sorry.”

Her eyes widened in surprise until she sighed and slumped forward, burying her face in her hands for a moment. She sighed again and smiled wryly, “I thought I was doing a pretty good job of pretending that everything was fine. That pretty much confirms what you said to Frank about not being able to trust me to hide my feelings. And I’m not mad at you, I’m mad and disgusted with myself. Everyone else we know had a sense of what was happening, but I was clueless, and you couldn’t trust me enough to say anything because I would have gotten us killed.”

His brows rose and fell as he tried to decipher her comment. “I never said I didn’t trust you, Melinda.”

Her glare was filled with a soul-deep hurt. “Yes you did! You wrote Frank that you couldn’t tell me. You couldn’t trust me with the truth!” She turned away after her confession, but stayed put where she’d sat on the bed.

“You will have to believe that what I’m going to say now is the truth.” He touched her hand but she would not look at him. “I love your passion, Melinda. I love that you fight for what you believe in with fierceness. But because you are who you are, you’re unable to pretend or disguise that you feel otherwise. In what we just went through, everyone, including Castelletti would have known if you had suspected that I was in danger. I had to let you be mad at me instead of for me.”

He grimaced and groaned quietly as he pushed himself to a sitting position. “I have always been accused of being poker-faced and too serious. The truth is that my life was always pretty serious and I learned to trust myself more than anyone else.” He rolled his head back onto the headboard and closed his eyes as memories of his early life crushed around him like the stones and dirt had earlier. “The world couldn’t hurt me as much after I learned how to do that. I reasoned problems out in my own mind and acted, and because of that I’ve been called block-headed, cool, and uncaring. Some even claimed I had no feelings. But I always cared; I simply chose not to share…or show what was inside me. That worked well again for me during these weeks.”

He noticed that Melinda’s eyes had lost their haunted look as she turned back to him and took his hands. He still didn’t like speaking of feelings but he knew he had to complete his thoughts if he wanted to make Melinda understand his reasons for not confiding in her. “But there’s a new truth now in my life. I’ve let you see into my heart and you know that I do feel things far more deeply than I let on.”

She wiped away a tear that had trickled down her cheek. “Love can do that, you know.”

“Yes it can, and because of that, two things were true. First, I had to move out of the house or you would have figured it out and put yourself in harm’s way. Secondly, I trusted you without question. I had to write that note to Frank so that he and Les wouldn’t come barging in before I was ready. I assumed that they knew a great deal but I also assumed that they were getting impatient to act. While I wasn’t sure what to expect from Frank, I trusted that you would be willing to wait for explanations. Even your ultimatum this morning gave me the time I needed to get the job done.” He looked down. “I wasn’t sure the timbering would work as I intended it tonight, so I did leave a note for you in my guitar case. It had to be somewhere you’d find it after…rather than before it was over. I think it explained all this too, but I’m really glad I could tell you instead of having you read it.”

“I am too, and I do understand your predicament.” She placed her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. “The worst moment was when I thought about that apologetic look Maxine gave you and I began to fear that everyone had decided that you were right to leave me. I had the circumstances wrong, but I was right about her knowing the truth.”

“I am so sorry,” he said again, “and I understand if it takes a little time for you to forgive me.” He thought a bit and added, “And while Maxine is getting good at her job, she has a ways to go in maintaining her poker-face. I’m lucky that Lucia didn’t see that look or she would have known that others were aware of what was going on. Maxi will get there though; Les will teach her.”

Melinda gave him a strong hug and said softly, “I forgave you the moment I saw you standing there, alive. I always knew there had to be good reasons for your actions. I let fear overtake my reasoning, and for that, I owe you an apology. I should never have doubted you.” The fatigue of the day began to set in as she yawned before adding, “I guess we’re fortunate that Lucia is a better person than her father or you would be in custody now and I’d be dead. It’s interesting how wrong we can be about people sometimes.”

Adam grimaced as he leaned forward and made Melinda release her hold so that he could see her face. “I don’t think we’ve seen the real Lucia Castelletti yet. We’ve only gotten a glimpse of a very complicated person. I think her actions tonight were done so that she would look like the heroine and save her own skin, rather than to save us. In the end it doesn’t matter; I’m just glad we’re both alive, and we won’t have further dealings with her.”

“Why do you feel that way about her?”

“Lucia ‘appeared’ sincere, but I could never see the truth of her convictions. I also have a hard time believing that she was as naïve about what was happening as she claimed she was.  She spoke strongly at times, but her eyes were emotionless. Her father’s eyes had that same emptiness. Most time I felt that she was saying lines—like she was playing a part in a play—adjusting her expressions to fit the scene. The only time I saw a flash of true emotion was when her father slapped her and called her, and her mother fools earlier tonight. I saw a deadly look cross her face and I think that’s when she made the decision to betray him.”

“I’ll admit I noticed something odd when I spoke with her tonight, but it was a brief encounter and I wasn’t sure that I was interpreting what I saw correctly. We were having a very serious conversation, yet she seemed detached from what she was saying. Now it makes sense; she was giving a performance.” Melinda thought back to the exchange and added, “She did look truly upset when she began describing how her father didn’t love her and had used her, so I think you’re right about that part too. Telling the police what her father had planned, even before he was dead, and then saving my life was probably the best way she could get back at him.”

A shiver overtook Adam as he considered the whole ordeal. “Louis Castelletti took great pride in his daughter’s ‘loyalty.’ Betraying her father to those he hated most was the optimal way to hurt him. Overall, I think Lucia possesses many of the same questionable traits as her father. I hope I’m wrong, but time will tell.”

“Wow,” Melinda breathed, “I guess I am glad we’re going away for a little while. Lucia said she was going to New Orleans after she cleared things in Boston, so she should be gone by the time we return. I know I owe her my life, but from now on, I want to stay far away from anyone named Castelletti.” She stretched and yawned again. “Speaking of going away, I never heard where this train is headed.”

His laugh ended in a groan. “It’s taking us someplace safe: the Ponderosa.” He brought her hands to his lips, and then examined the left one, saying, “Oh, oh.”

“Oh, oh?”

“You seem to be missing something.” He gently pushed her aside as he inched his way out of bed and retrieved his pants from the back of a chair. “I usually have the fob pockets removed from the waistbands of my pants,” he said seriously. “They irritate that scar I got from one of Cochise’s braves. But this pair still has one and tonight it came in handy.” He slipped his fingers into the small flap of material and withdrew Melinda’s wedding ring. Dropping ungracefully and heavily to one satin-clad knee, he took her hand and said, “Will you, Melinda Hayworth Cartwright, do me the honor of remaining my wife?”

“Only if you’ll do me the honor of remaining my husband,” she replied as he slid the ring onto her finger.

He attempted to rise, but returned to his knee, dropped his head, and sighed into a chuckle before looking up again with a sheepish grin, “I have one last favor to ask.”

“Ask away.”

“Help me up?”

The End……………………………. The next story in this series, In Search of Safety. It will follow Adam and Melinda’s trip to the Ponderosa and contains a few surprises too.

Nest Story in the One Step Closer Series:

In Search of Safety
From Two to Three
Changes in Fate

Notes:

*In the Quality of Mercy episode, you see the four Cartwright’s singing Sweet Betsy from Pike while Adam accompanies them on the guitar. If you watch his lips, they often stop moving for a couple of beats until the final word or 2 of the phrase, like “plat” and “flat.” Of course he comes in strong at the end. I always imagined that his guitar-playing skill was rather recently acquired when he did that, and he was more concerned about the fingering than the words of the song.

**This is background taken from my story, One Step Closer: ‘Til Death Do Us Part. It is the story of Adam returning to Boston, reuniting with Melinda, facing the tragedy of a kidnapping, and finally marrying his college sweetheart.

1  Johann Pachelbel was a Baroque composer and while we’re all familiar with his Canon in D, people in Adam’s time had never heard it. As the Baroque style went out of fashion during the 18th century, the majority of Baroque and pre-Baroque composers were virtually forgotten. Local organists in Nuremberg and Erfurt knew Pachelbel’s music and occasionally performed it, but the public and the majority of composers and performers did not pay much attention to Pachelbel’s work. In the first half of the 19th century, some organ works by Pachelbel were published and several musicologists started considering him an important composer. Much of Pachelbel’s work was published in the early 20th century, but it was not until the rise of interest in early Baroque music in the middle of the 20th century that Pachelbel’s works began to be studied extensively and again performed more frequently.

To hear Canon in D played by a guitar, here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXC9tuumjiA

2 With a reported one third of the currency in circulation being counterfeit at the time, the Secret Service was created by President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, the day of his assassination, five days after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. It was commissioned on July 5, 1865, in Washington, D.C. as the “Secret Service Division” of the Department of the Treasury with the mission of suppressing counterfeiting. The legislation creating the agency was on Abraham Lincoln’s desk the night he was assassinated. (Taken from Wikipedia-United States Secret Service) In 1867 Secret Service responsibilities were broadened to include “detecting persons perpetrating frauds against the government.” This appropriation resulted in investigations into the Ku Klux Klan, non-conforming distillers, smugglers, mail robbers, land frauds, and a number of other infractions against the federal laws.

3 Of course James West is a fictional character from the television series, The Wild, Wild West. In that show, he and Artemis Gordon served in the Secret Service under Ulysses S. Grant who became president in 1869. Background for that show states that West and Gordon were chosen for their meritorious service in the Civil War, and I figured James West had to start somewhere before becoming one of the elite of the Secret Service.

End Notes:

My thanks to Sandspur for her beta read and suggestions that always make my stories better.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.