Time Thieves Read online

  When he finally left, the sun was breaking over the mountains. She loved this time of year, having forgotten how vivid the colors were on the island. Peach and pink bloomed skyward, lighting up the world around her.

  She leaned against the front door and watched. When she finally turned to face her shop, she realized how old and dingy it looked. She’d been blinded by joy at being home, but now she could see how much work needed to be done.

  Including installing a full-on security system. Inside, she wandered the shop where she’d spent so many enjoyable hours with her father. And that just brought her back to the past. There’s no way he’d have left her behind…if he’d left willingly. She stuffed the old pain back inside, knowing nothing good could come of hashing over the same nasty scenarios of what had happened that day so long ago.

  She sighed, tears once again coming to her eyes. She wondered if they’d ever stop.

  She’d tried year after year on the anniversary of his disappearance to duplicate the exact set of events that had happened when her father had vanished. So far she’d had no luck. This year would be the first time she’d have a chance to repeat the ritual in the same physical location in which he’d disappeared.

  In just over a week’s time. She’d repeat her ritual soon enough. No need to do it early.

  Realizing how fatigue had caught up with her, she locked the safe and her office and slowly climbed to her bedroom. Crawling under her covers, her last thought was to wonder what Ward had been doing at her house. And did he still remember her?

  *

  Ward sat up in his hospital bed and clutched at his head.

  “Whoa. Where do you think you’re going?”

  Ward peered through half-closed eyes to see an old friend. “Well, Dr. Janz Coran, are you on tonight? Fancy meeting you here.”

  “Yeah, fancy that. You come into Emergency and meet an emergency doctor. How odd.”

  His grin belied his sarcasm. Not that Ward would have listened. They’d been friends far too long for that.

  “How’s my head, Doc?” Ward asked.

  “Looking pretty sore from where I’m sitting. What did you do this time?”

  “Someone hit me from behind.” And stupid of him to let that asshole get the drop on him. He straightened suddenly. “Did I come in alone? There wasn’t a woman with me, was there?” He looked around for his phone. He needed to make sure Sari was okay.

  Dr. Coran laughed and grabbed him by the shoulders to gently force him back down again to lie on the bed. “This isn’t exactly a two-person activity. You came in alone.”

  “There was someone parked suspiciously outside a friend’s house. I was talking to the guy in the truck, heard something odd, turned to look and was hit from behind. I need to make sure she’s safe.”

  “There is an officer outside. I’ll let him inside in a few minutes.”

  While Ward stewed and fumed at the slowness, Dr. Coran checked him over thoroughly. Standing back slightly, he smiled and said, “Now I’ll let your partner in.”

  True enough, Jeremy came around the curtain almost instantly. “Hey, talk about giving us a scare.”

  “Did you guys catch the asshole?” Ward asked, trying to throw his sheet off and drop his legs over the side of the bed. “And did anyone check on Sari? The truck was parked at her house.”

  “Easy – let someone else do their job too.” Jeremy pushed Ward gently backward until he was resting again. “Sari is actually the one who called us to your rescue. Apparently she saw the whole thing. There’d been an intruder in her house and then you showed up. The inside man was contacted and he waited for his partner outside to knock you down, then they both ran. She couldn’t give us many details on the men or the truck though.”

  “A Dodge Ram with duallies and a sprayed-on box liner with a beat-up toolbox in the back. Black, I think…I wrote the license plate down in my notebook. It had oversized tires on it.”

  “A lot of truck for some punk that’s going to raise it.”

  “There’s a lot of money in this town.” Sitting on the ocean in the province, this was considered a retirement city by many. But that also included retirees that had enough money to get out of the rat race early. It also meant lots of offspring with plenty of disposable income. “Where’s my jacket?”

  They both looked around, but there was no sign of it.

  “My notebook was in the pocket.”

  “Are you sure you had it on you when you were hit?”

  Ward frowned uncertainly. “I thought so, but I’m not sure. I might have tossed the notebook on the passenger seat of my cruiser.”

  “Hmmm. Sari noted that the man who hit you checked out your vehicle before he got back into the truck and drove away.”

  Ward groaned. “So he probably grabbed my notebook. Damn it, that book had a bunch of numbers I needed.”

  “Your cruiser has been taken to the lot, so I’ll go and see if the notebook is still in there. You stay here and rest.”

  Ward snorted. “Hell no. If I’m going to rest, it will be in my own home and in my own bed.” He struggled back up to a sitting position. “My head’s taken a beating before. I feel fine.”

  “A blow on the head is nothing to laugh off. Why don’t you stay here until morning?”

  Forget that shit. Ward hopped off the bed and stood facing his friend. “Hell no. I’m outta here. Besides, the doc just gave me a warning – he didn’t admit me. So let’s go.” He didn’t wait to hear any more protests. He led the way from the building, which was almost too silent. Then again, it was dawn and the whole town should be asleep.

  Outside, he got into Jeremy’s truck. “I should probably stop in at the station, huh?”

  “Nope. I’m taking you home.” Jeremy started up the big diesel engine and pulled out onto the main road. “I was afraid you were going to insist on going back to Sari’s house to make sure she’s all right.”

  Ward glanced over at him. “Did you see her?”

  “Hell yes. And yes, she’s just as gorgeous as before. That short dark hair, huge baby blues, and that same gamine grin.” Jeremy smirked, but his smile fell away. “She didn’t recognize me though.”

  “Yeah, I’m not surprised. It’s been years. She won’t likely recognize me either.”

  Jeremy shot him a sideways look. “Except she called you by name when she called it in. Not only did she recognize you, she’s the one that alerted the cavalry to come to the rescue.”

  A warm bloom heated Ward’s insides. It made him feel good to think that after all this time, she still remembered him. They’d been best friends. If she’d stayed here, he’d have done his damned best to keep her as a friend and eventually something more. He’d always planned to take her to the prom. Her leaving had devastated him.

  “Hey, you okay there, buddy? You went kind of quiet.”

  “Just remembering the shock of her leaving. First her father’s weird disappearance, then her up and moving like that.” He sighed and dropped his head back on the head rest and closed his eyes. “I never stopped thinking about her.”

  “Yeah. I wasn’t as close with her as you were, but it seemed like her mother had been a bit different back then. She’d been almost cold.”

  Ward barely held back the disgust in his voice. “She was reserved. But Sari’s old man – well, I really liked him. He reminded me of my own.” Even now he couldn’t imagine what the loss of her father had done to Sari’s mental state. She’d been the light in her father’s eyes. The open adoration between the two had probably contributed to the sense of her mother being the odd one out. He’d asked Sari about her mother once, and she’d just shrugged as if to say what can I do?

  “So are you going to ask her out?”

  Ward looked over at Jeremy and frowned. “A little early, isn’t it? I’ll definitely stop by and thank her, but for all we know, she’s married and has children.”

  “Nope, she’s not and never has been.” Jeremy’s smug grin had Ward narrowing his eyes
at him. “I checked.”

  “Really?” In that case…Ward smiled a little sheepishly. “If she’s interested in spending time with an old friend, then I might. Have to wait and see. Fifteen years is a long time.”

  Chapter 3

  “I’m sorry, but the house needs more than a Band-Aid.”

  Sari frowned as she looked over the house inspector’s report. She’d figured it was really the only way to see what kind of repairs she’d need to be making.

  “A new roof is the priority, I’m presuming.”

  “Yes, and get an electrician in to check the wiring. That electrical panel needs to be upgraded. Particularly if you’re planning on putting in a sophisticated alarm system. You don’t want the alarms to go off when you plug the teakettle in or some other such nonsense.” He grinned good–naturedly.

  “No, I really don’t.” She glanced down at the report again. “Thanks for this.”

  “That’s just the rough stuff. I’ll email you a full report this afternoon when I get my notes written up. That gives you a place to start though.”

  “Good enough.” She stood on the porch until he left then wandered the house, matching the report with some of the problem areas. The old cedar siding needed to be repaired on the back, or she could redo the whole house with the newer siding. She was partial to keeping the house the way she remembered, but there was no point in being stupid. Memories couldn’t replace common sense.

  Back inside, she started the tedious job of looking up and calling contractors for quotes.

  By the time she finished the ones on her list, she was badly in need of a cup of tea. Her mother would be sipping a glass of wine at this hour, having returned to the French way of life immediately. Sari still preferred tea. So had her father.

  Busy filling the teakettle, she barely heard the knocking on the door. When it sounded the second time, she ran to the front door and opened it.

  She gasped. Ward. She cried, “Are you supposed to be out of hospital?” He grinned and opened his arms.

  She didn’t hesitate. She leaned in, loving the way his arms wrapped around her and held her tight. She burrowed closer, burying her face in his shirt. God, she’d missed him. Stupid really – she didn’t even know him. Not anymore. Feeling slightly self-conscious, she pulled back with a sheepish grin.

  “I guess you can tell I missed you, huh?”

  “As I missed you.” His arms tugged her close, squeezed her tight, then released her slightly. She loved that he kept his hands on her as if not wanting to lose contact again. “Damn it. I’ve hardly heard from you in all this time. First a few letters, then emails, but lately not much. Where was the ‘hey, I’m coming home in September – be nice to see you’ or something?”

  She laughed. “I sat and wrote and rewrote that damn note a dozen times, then thought screw it. I’ll just surprise him.”

  “Well, you did that. I swore I heard your voice when I was lying on the cement last night. I’d heard you were back, but damn it, you didn’t let me know.”

  Her smile turned melancholy. “I’m sorry. I was planning on it. But being back wasn’t exactly being back. I’ve been gone more than I’ve been here.”

  He dropped his arms. “Well, seeing as how you rescued me last night, you’re forgiven.”

  She led the way back to her kitchen. “I think you probably rescued me first.” She glanced back at him. “I had an intruder and didn’t quite know what to do.”

  “Get out of the house to safety is always first.”

  She shrugged. “Yes, but as I quickly found out, the guy’s partner was watching outside. I was afraid there was a third one out back.”

  Ward grabbed a kitchen chair, spun it around, and sat on it, facing her over the backrest. “Any idea what they were looking for?”

  “Not really, except from the little bit I heard. I got the impression they were looking for something in particular.” As she made tea and carried over the pot and teacups to the table, she shared what she remembered. “The thing is, I deal in antiquities and jewelry, so in theory they could have been looking for any number of pieces.” She added slowly, “Not to mention the multitude of semi-precious stones I keep on hand.”

  “Ouch.” He winced. “That’s a lot of reasons for an intruder to case your place.”

  “Except since I’ve only been back for a few weeks and been gone for most of that time, how would anyone know? It’s not like I’ve had a chance to reconnect with the community in any way. I seem to be dashing to and from the airport constantly.”

  “Do you do any business locally?”

  “Not yet. I plan to eventually, but I’m global.”

  “It’s possible these two were hired to do this job by someone out of town. If they are looking for something particularly valuable…please tell me you don’t keep anything really valuable in the house.”

  “Not really valuable. Several pieces run in the thousands, but I have a safety deposit box where I keep a couple of the more interesting pieces. I’m getting repairs done on the house and plan to put in a high-end security system at the same time. I have a safe here, but it’s old.”

  “The same one your dad used?” At her nod, he grinned. “I remember trying to open that thing every time I was here. Your dad was the best.”

  Silence. She dropped her gaze to the teapot as if suddenly remembering she hadn’t poured it and immediately filled two cups with the hot brew.

  “I’m sorry. It’s still painful?”

  Glancing over at him, she admitted, “Even more since coming home. I hadn’t expected it to hit me so hard, but it’s almost like looking over my shoulder and expecting to see him sitting at his desk like he always used to.” She cupped the hot cup in her now chilled hands. “As if the time in between never happened. Like we went on an extended European visit without him.”

  “I’m sorry. I’d have expected to have him show up, his body at least somewhere over the years. But it’s like he disappeared into thin air. There’s never been any sign of him since.”

  Sari kept her gaze on the tea, not daring to let him see into her eyes. He’d always been very perceptive, and being a cop should have amplified that instinct over the years. She knew what she’d seen all those years ago, but there was no way she could share it with him.

  Unfortunately.

  “Sorry to dredge up bad memories.” Ward’s voice turned brisk. “What kind of repairs are you having done?”

  She smiled at the change of subject and started laying out her plans to him.

  He left soon after, leaving her wanting more. They’d left it open and casual. She just hoped he came back soon, or she’d have to track him down and take the next step. She’d really missed him. And they’d already lost enough time. She wasn’t up for losing too much more.

  *

  Several days later, she watched the huge crane truck carefully drop long packages of roofing tiles on her roof. The one half had been stripped bare; her front lawn showed the evidence of the many attempts from the workmen to toss the ripped pieces into the supersized dumpster that had been delivered and was sitting in her driveway.

  Soon the new roof would be finished. She’d been fascinated at the speedy coordination between men, equipment, and supplies. They were fast. Of course, the forecast was for rain and they wanted it done beforehand. So did she.

  Several other contractors had come and gone, giving her estimates on various projects. The biggest one she had to decide on was the flooring. It would be expensive to do the entire house at once, not to mention a major pain as the house was fully furnished, but the old wooden flooring in the shop was looking a little dubious at this point.

  She wandered inside to the shop. She needed a garbage bin out front like the roofers had. Honestly, had her mother tossed anything away before running off to Europe?

  There were dishes in the shop, clean but just stacked on the one side. There was equipment hiding under years of dust. Books lined one wall, and she could almost peel the dust off t
hem – it was so old. Speaking of which, she was likely to need a new furnace. Oh joy. Not for the first time, she wondered if the savings she’d set aside was going to be enough to bring the house back to order.

  She wandered through the shop, letting herself pick up old books from her father’s collection and thumb through the yellowed pages. The titles intrigued her. Time Encapsulated. Facts on Time Travel. Timepieces. Alternate Dimensions. She’d always assumed the books had to do with her father’s favorite hobby – watches. Sure, some did, but some were more fantastical in nature. Or esoteric maybe. She’d pondered the concept of time travel a lot over the years; how could she not after what she’d seen and experienced? She’d haunted websites, libraries, and databases while at university, but nothing had ever been able to explain the most defining moment in her life.

  Finding out her father had apparently been fascinated by the topic made her wonder if he’d learned something important or had accidentally triggered something in that one timepiece – sending him somewhere else. She’d hated staring at old watches, feeling like her father was caught like a prisoner inside one. And no, she wasn’t ready for the nuthouse. But she’d racked her brain endlessly and that was the only conclusion she’d been able to come up with. It had really made it difficult to sit through some of her classes in school. She knew something they had no explanation for. Not that she’d brought the subject up. She’d tried several times with her mother, but Lisbeth had stuck to her version. That her father, instead of waiting for her to return with their hot chocolate, had gotten up from his chair and walked out the door – forever.

  She also told Sari that she had to stop making up stories about her father.

  Except Sari hadn’t been that young. If Sari hadn’t been home beside her father when he’d vanished in front of the two of them, hadn’t been searching then reaching for the same watch at the same time as her father, if she hadn’t been old enough to understand that he’d disappeared then…maybe. But she had been there. She had been about to pick up the timepiece. She had watched him disappear. Her mother had searched the room frantically as if that would give them a crevasse, a hole, a container, something that had held her father.