Christy could barely remember getting through Cheryl’s fitting. Before 10:15, however, she’d sent the happily expectant Cheryl on her way and locked the house and pulled the drapes. Making her way upstairs, Christy threw herself across the bed and cried.
She had thought he was different. She was sure of it. Curt seemed so sincere, and his love of God had made her feel that he could be trusted. Why, then, had he lied to her? Why had he hidden his true identity from her? Was he in trouble, like Grant?
She heard the telephone ring several times, but certain that it would be Curt, she refused to answer it. Sometime around noon, Christy fell asleep and didn’t wake up until nearly three-thirty. Uncertain that she even wanted to get up, Christy rolled over and stared at the ceiling for another fifteen minutes before giving in to her responsibilities.
When she came downstairs to the darkened rooms, she felt like crying all over again. Why couldn’t she have found happiness and settled down to a peaceful life with a trustworthy man?
Coming into the darkened sitting room, Christy nearly screamed when Curt appeared in the doorway. “We have to talk.”
“No. No; just go away.” She tried to flee, but he pulled her back and forced her to sit.
“My name is Curtiss Kyle O’Sullivan. I grew up here in Denver, and I have a younger sister named CJ. I grew up flying because my father was a famous pilot, and he and my mother began an aviation corporation with a longtime friend, Cheryl’s father, Ben Fairchild. When I was twenty-one, about six years ago, my parents were killed in an airplane crash that left my sister severely injured. Before my father died, he found drugs on one of his planes and called me to ask if I had any idea who was responsible. I didn’t, but figured my father and I would work together and figure it out. But we didn’t get a chance to because they sabotaged his plane and killed him.”
Christy said nothing and Curt continued. “I’m an officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Christy. We traced drugs to your warehouse in New York. We thought you were at the center of the ring, and that’s why Debbie and I posed as a couple and came to you for a gown. Debbie has never been more than a good friend and my partner. I was supposed to snoop around and learn what I could while you were fitting her for the dress.”
At this Christy raised her face in stunned apprehension. “You thought I was dealing drugs?”
“It pointed to you,” Curt said, finally taking a seat in the chair be-side her. “But I knew the moment we met that you couldn’t possibly know anything about it. I knew when I held you in my arms the night of your sister’s accident that you were innocent of any wrongdoings. I also knew that I was falling in love with you.”
“Don’t say that. You can’t possibly mean it. You were just using me to get information. Dear God, how stupid can one woman be?” Christy said with her eyes raised to the ceiling.
“It wasn’t like that,” Curt replied. “At first I did try to get information from you for the purpose of the investigation, but it wasn’t the reason I kept coming back. I fell in love with you. My boss even threatened to take me off the case—that’s how bad I was about the whole thing. I spent more time protecting your image than digging for the truth. You have to believe me, Christy.”
The pleading tone wasn’t lost on her. She nearly cringed at the sadness in his voice. It was almost like he knew he was fighting a final battle, and the outcome would forever change his destiny.
“I can’t believe you,” she whispered. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“Yes, you do. Down deep inside, you know the real me. The only important me. Christy, I told them all along that you were innocent. You can ask Debbie. I told her what happened this morning and that we were going to have to let you in on it or totally blow the work we’d accomplished. We have to put Grant away, Christy. He may be the person responsible for my parents’ crash.”
Christy shook her head. “You’re just using all of this to make yourself look better.”
“What can I say to convince you? I know things about you that you haven’t told me. I know about your shipping schedules and your European brokers. I know that you always use T.D. Express for your shipments. What you might not know is that T.D. Express is a subsidiary of O&F Aviation, the company that I co-own with my sister and Ben Fairchild.”
“All of this sounds contrived,” Christy said, sniffing back tears. “I mean you start out with this story about airplanes and drugs, and you end up snooping through my house and business affairs. Where’s the connection?”
“There are several, although until recently I didn’t realize just how many. When I started working on finding my parents’ killers, I was on my own. What I knew, I couldn’t prove. Then I met up with some people in the DEA, and we became good friends. Next thing I knew, I was part of the force, making it a whole lot easier to investigate. I knew that people in O&F Aviation were involved, but I had to get proof.”
“I still don’t see how this connects to me. I’m a dress design- er, for pity’s sake.”
“Christy, you have to trust me. I can’t give the entire case away because it involves too many people. You have to understand, the biggest problem that’s facing us in the case right now—the one that worries me about your safety—is Grant.”
“Grant?” Christy questioned. “Why Grant? I mean, I know he’s involved in drugs, but how does he figure into your case and why is it any of my concern?”
Curt shifted restlessly in the seat. “Cheryl Fairchild is one of your clients, and she’s involved with Grant.”
“Grant? Why should I believe you?”
“Because whether you care about the adults involved, the lives of two children depend on you keeping my cover intact.”
“Two children?” Christy questioned curiously.
“Yes, and both of them are unfortunately Grant’s.”
Christy’s eyes narrowed and her brows drew together as if she could somehow solve the equation that Curt put before her. “What are you saying?”
“Cheryl Fairchild is carrying Grant’s baby. She knows him as Stratton McFarland, however. I met him at a party my sister gave. I thought he looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t until I saw him arguing with you at the hospital and learned who he was that I was able to place him. I’d seen him leaving your driveway in a black Porsche. I didn’t get all that good a look, however, so when I met him at CJ’s, I just didn’t remember.”
Christy felt the blood drain from her face. She thought for a minute she might even faint.
“I’m sorry, Christy. I had to tell you because I fear for your life. I want to protect you, but I can’t unless you help me. Sarah is at stake, also. You can’t keep her safe by yourself. You need me and I need you, not only for this case, but for each other.”
Christy remained silent, contemplating everything Curt had shared with her. It was so much to take in, yet somehow she knew it must be true.
“Cheryl’s been engaged to Stratton, or Grant, for nearly a year. He must have met her right after marrying Candy,” Curt continued. “He courted Cheryl in great style, but according to my sister, he was strangely absent for long periods of time, and he didn’t explain his whereabouts. I presume that’s when he was at home with Candy. He and Cheryl set a wedding date, and Cheryl moved back to Denver from Los Angeles—at least I think that’s where they originally met—and planned her wedding. One thing after another took place to delay their plans. You should know, too, that it was Grant who insisted that Cheryl use your wedding design business. He told her, right down to the last detail, what he wanted her dress to be composed of.”
“Yes, I do remember Cheryl stating on occasion that her fiancé had specified many of the materials we were to use in her gown,” Christy said, forgetting that she didn’t believe Curt’s story.
Curt smiled for the first time since arriving. Refusing to let him have any hope in the situation, Christy immediately covered her mistake.
“Cheryl could have told you that,” she replied stiffly.
“In a way, I guess she did. She told my sister, and my sister found it very strange that a man should be so involved in the design and materials of a woman’s wedding dress. She even told me that Cheryl had to re-arrange her scheduled appointments with you on more than one occasion because she was trying to get Stratton-Grant to come with her and see the dress. But he knew he couldn’t come here because you would recognize him as your brother-in-law.”
“But why become involved at all?”
“The drugs. As best as I can figure it, Grant needed something special in a nonroutine shipment. He knew if he could get you to place a specific order, he could have the drugs or whatever it was he needed imported right along with the materials.
Christy, this thing is bigger than you can imagine. The proportions for this operation outrank anything even I expected.”
Christy got up and walked to the window. Lightly fingering the drapes, her mind raced with unspoken questions. Before she realized it, Curt was at her back, his hands on her arms.
“Please, Christy, please believe my love for you is real. I want to walk away from this entire matter when it’s done and know that I still have you. That I haven’t lost the one precious thing I have in life.”
When she didn’t react to his touch or respond to his voice, Curt continued. “I’ll give you the money Grant’s demanding for Sarah. I’ll do whatever I can to prove to you that I love you and the baby. Just help me nail Grant. Help me put him away where he can’t hurt anybody ever again.”
“How can you be sure that Grant is responsible for the deaths of your parents?” Christy finally asked in a strained voice.
“Because Ben Fairchild told me he was.”
“I just don’t know,” Christy finally said. “I need to think.”
Curt dropped his hands. “Don’t take too long,” he said and added, “we don’t have much time.”
Christy nodded and waited for him to leave. She heard his footsteps as he went from the room and through the foyer. She heard the front door open and close, then watched as he walked down the sidewalk, not even looking back to where he knew she stood. Then he was gone, and Christy felt the emptiness in her heart fill her being.
Fool! Her mind seemed to scream the word. Her heart pounded harder. What was she supposed to do? Grant was dealing drugs and would most likely take Sarah away from her if Christy didn’t do everything he told her to. Curt was involved in some major undercover sting operation, and her designer business was stuck in the middle of everything.
Fool seemed too mild a word.