Peter had been at work for about two hours by now, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything except Megan and the workman. Peter wasn’t going to let this guy pull one over on him, and he didn’t care a bit what the Pastor said, either. It was one thing to trust God’s word, it was another to keep your eyes open, get the facts and protect people from predators, especially the people you loved. Peter wouldn’t say exactly that he loved Megan now, she’d disappointed him too much for that. He might even have lost some respect for her. But he did have a responsibility as a police officer and an old friend, to keep her safe from harm.
This Hunter guy had to be a con man, the ladies reaction to him in town wasn’t natural. Women only reacted that way if a guy knew how to play them, had something in mind. Well, this guy could play any game he wanted, it wasn’t going undetected - not with Peter in town. When the guy had started up with Megan, he’d personally interfered with Peter’s plans. That didn’t sit well with Peter. No it didn’t, not at all.
It wouldn’t be hard getting the facts on this guy either. The guy had to be stupid if he thought he could cover up forever. Peter sat down at the computer and started to search. The guy had no Facebook page, wasn’t on twitter, didn’t have any noticeable friends. Okay, he was living incognito. There had to be a reason for that. Peter plugged his name, Hunter Borden, into the police records, nothing came up. Hell, he could be going under an alias, for all anyone knew. Peter immediately called the artist who drew portraits for the cops. He’d get a drawing made of Hunter and track him online like that.
The minute Hunter got the artist on the phone, the guy said he’d seen Hunter over at Grave’s Lumber. Peter breathed a sigh of relief. That made things easier already.
“Get me a sketch of the bastard as soon as you can and I’ll scan it and put it out,” said Peter.
“An emergency?” the guy asked.
“Almost,” said Peter. “Get it done right away.”
In about an hour Peter had the drawing. Hell, it looked just like the workman. Peter sat back and chuckled as he put the photo online, again checking with the police stations, especially the one in Upper Valley, where the guy told people he’d just come from.
In what seemed like no time a message came back from Upper Valley. They knew him there! Peter banged his hand on the desk.
“Hurray,” he yelled. This guy had a record. He was right. It was written out clear as day and Peter devoured every word.
The guy’s name wasn’t Hunter Borden, it was Hunter Clay Borden, Jr. Peter read every detail of the report. Then he jumped up. He’d known something was terribly wrong, Megan was in danger. He had to run to her house immediately and let her know what he’d found.
Peter slammed his foot on the gas as he took the curves on the road to get to Megan’s. Jesus, he didn’t realize how strong his feelings for her still were, even after her taking up with this no good, con man. Well, Peter, smiled to himself, all that would be over in just a few minutes. He’d tell Megan everything he’d found out, get her to kick the guy out so fast he wouldn’t know what had hit him. Peter liked that thought. It made him smile, divine justice at work, he thought.
Peter’s car swept up the front path to Megan’s home in no time at all. He screeched to a halt and sat in the car for a second. Everything around looked peaceful and at rest. In the distance you could hear saws working on the wood. The sound made a soft rhythm that only added to the creepy feeling of all being well in the world. Well, it wasn’t.
Peter got out of the car, slammed the door shut and walked up to the front door as if he were coming to make an arrest. As usual, the door was open, and without knocking, he walked in and looked around. Megan was in the kitchen chopping vegetables. He knew he’d scare her if he just appeared, but it would be good for her to be scared a little. About time she woke up to reality.
“Megan,” Peter said in a gruff tone, as he stood at the kitchen door.
She jumped back, startled.
Strangely enough, she looked different somehow, rested, glowing, more beautiful than he remembered before.
“My God, Peter, you scared me,” she said. “Don’t you believe in calling before you come? Who walks in without ringing the bell?”
“I’ve come on a serious matter,” said Peter.
Alarm crossed Megan’s face. “What?”
“Sit down,” said Peter.
“Don’t frighten me like this,” she said. “What happened? Is it Mallory?”
“No, of course not. Where is she, anyway?”
“She’s with my parents,” Megan said.
“Nothing happened to her, she’s fine.”
Megan waited, her face growing pale. Who knows what scenarios were turning over in her mind, Peter thought.
“You’ve found out that Kyle’s dead?” she asked, her hands trembling.
“No. I’ve come about the guy who’s working here, “ Peter didn’t want to mince anymore words.
Megan’s hands fell down limp at her sides.
“What about him?” she asked.
“Listen, Megan this guy’s got a record.”
“A record?” Megan echoed.
“The last woman he was with in Upper Valley put a restraining order on him.”
Megan’s face grew chalk white. “I don’t believe it.”
“It’s in the files,” Peter said. “You’ve got to get this guy out of your home immediately. A restraining order means he’s dangerous.”
Megan ran her tongue over her suddenly parched lips. Peter could see she was having trouble processing the news.
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said simply.
“Sense or no sense, you got to do it.”
“Are you positive?” she asked again.
“Positive,” said Peter. “You think I’d come here with this news if I wasn’t.”
Megan stared at him then. “How did you find this out, Peter?”
“I searched,” said Peter. “It was easy to find. I care about you and your safety.”
Megan’s face flushed beet red as she started pacing around.
“Is that all you care about Peter?” the words flew from her. “Is this about my safety or about your pride?”
This wasn’t Megan, Peter thought. She wasn’t the woman he’d known all these years. It wasn’t possible that she’d actually protect this low life and turn it around and blame him.
“You’re gonna protect this low life?” Peter asked her.
“He’s not’s a low life,” Megan exclaimed. “You’ve got it wrong.”
“What kind of guy gets a restraining order placed on him?” Peter asked.
“At least he deserves a chance to tell us what happened,” Megan was breathing fast.
“Did he tell you about the restraining order?” Peter focused in.
“No, he didn’t,” Megan said.
“So, he lied to you,” Peter continued.
“He didn’t lie to me, he just didn’t mention it.”
“That’s lying by omission,” Peter exclaimed.
“And what about you?” Megan flung back at him. “What have you omitted to tell someone? Is that also lying?”
Her eyes were flashing. “What about me?” she continued, breathless. “If I don’t tell everything about my personal life, does it mean I’m a liar too?”
“Wake up honey,” Peter said, condescendingly, “take a look.”
She stopped pacing and stared at Peter.
“I am not your honey! And Hunter is not a low life. He’s an incredible, loving, beautiful guy.”
“Jesus Christ, you’ve fallen for him!” Peter was rattled to the depths of his bones.
“That’s right, I love him,” Megan said sharply.
Peter’d never seen her so alive and heated. She made the blood in his veins boil.
“You’re making a horrible mistake, Megan.”
“Don’t you burst in here and tell me what I’m doing! Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll walk you to the door.”
“You’ll what?” Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Get out, Peter,” Megan said.
“You’re throwing me out? You’re leaving him here?”
“You heard me. Get out.”
Peter stomped to the door with Megan close behind him. When he got close enough, she pushed him through it. Then without a moment’s hesitation, slammed the door in his face.
Peter’s head started spinning. No one in his life had ever treated him this way before. There was no reason for it, he didn’t deserve it. How could this happen, after all he’d done for her, anyway? He guessed he never really knew her at all, didn’t know what had driven Kyle away, either. Women were wild, they were crazy, you couldn’t trust any of them.
Peter got back into his car, revved up the engine, and took off in a flash. Not only had she just ruined their friendship, she was setting herself up for a terrible blow.
Peter put his head back on the seat as he drove home as he mulled about what to do now. So far the guy hadn’t done anything illegal. There was no other way, at the moment, to get him out of town. But Peter had no intention of letting this go. More would come to the surface about the creep sooner or later. With guys like this, it always did.
*
Megan went back and sat down in the kitchen, devastated. The day which had started so wonderfully, had suddenly taken a swift change. Was it possible that Hunter was dangerous, and had been lying to her? Every cell in her body said it wasn’t so. But Peter had come with solid information, she couldn’t just close her eyes to it. It wasn’t only she that was involved, Mallory’s safety was at stake as well. If Megan didn’t care what happened to herself, Mallory was something else.
In a few moments Megan got up and splashed cold water on her face. She’d have to go out to the back and talk to Hunter, clear this up immediately. They had no secrets between them ever before, why should this be any different?
Megan smoothed her sundress, pulled her hair back and walked down the hill slowly. Hunter was there with the other guys now, handing wood off to one another.
“Hi,” Megan said lightly to all of them.
Hunter looked at her keenly with his clear hazel eyes. It was usual for her to roam down this way, he knew something had happened.
“Can I talk to you a moment, Hunter?” Megan said then.
“Sure thing,” he answered, put his part of the wood on the grass and nodded to the guys. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
The two of them walked up away from the crew towards their favorite tree, that had a little bench under it to sit on. Hunter held her elbow gently and guided her as they walked.
“Okay, shoot. What happened?” Hunter asked her as they sat down under the tree.
“Peter came by this morning,” Megan started.
Hunter sat straighter.
“He’s been doing some investigating,” Megan said, “and told me things that scared me.”
Hunter’s voice became momentarily garbled. “What things?”
“He said there’s a restraining order put on you by that woman in Upper Valley.”
Hunter looked down for a long moment, then turned and looked squarely at Megan.
“What does that have to do with us now?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” said Megan. “You never told me anything about that.”
“You want me to dredge up every little detail of my life?” he said.
“This isn’t a little detail,” Megan said.
Hunter shook his head sadly. “You want to believe the worst? Now you don’t trust me?” his voice was heavy and sad.
“It’s not that,” said Megan.
She leaned back against the tree and felt its rough bark holding her up.
“I thought we loved each other,” said Hunter.
“We do,” said Megan.
“Love is trusting each other,” Hunter stood up, “not thinking the worst the minute someone says something.”
“It’s natural for me to question this.” Megan stood up as well.
“Love is natural,” said Hunter, “suspicion is not. “There have to be plenty of things you never told me, either.” He was stung. “I don’t have people going around investigating you.”
“I never told Peter to investigate you.”
Hunter turned and looked at her between the long shadows the sun made streaming through the summer leaves.
“I’ve got to go now,” he said.
“Wait a minute,” Megan’s heart started pounding. “You said you’d never just leave like that.”
“And you promised you would trust me. A promise means a lot to me.”
“Hunter, you’ve got to understand.”
“Just for now,” he said, “I’ve got to go,” and he turned and ran to his pickup truck that was waiting further down the hill.
Megan’s heart clenched and her body trembled, as she heard the truck start up. This wasn’t real, it wasn’t happening. How could he run off like that so suddenly when he promised he never would?