Familiar Obsession

Chapter Three

“Liza.” Mike spoke her name, but it was too soft for her to hear. He was frozen by her terrified expression. He’d followed her to the French Quarter, hoping that in the open, among the crowds, he could approach her. There was so much to talk about, so much to tell. He’d discovered his identity! And so much more. He’d learned that five years before, Liza Hawkins had been the most important thing in his life.

His first impulse had been to find her, to confide in her. To see if she held the key that would fully unlock his past. But his actions had set up a chain reaction in Liza. He had to get her to listen to him long enough to figure out why he terrified her so. He’d put her old, worn business card in the inside pocket of his shirt. If he could show it to her, make her understand that it was his only link to the past, maybe she would talk to him.

He reached inside his jacket and knew instantly that the motion had been misinterpreted. Liza’s eyes widened, her gaze riveted on the movement of his hand. To his horror, she turned and fled. Bumping into tourists, stumbling over vendors and their wares, she left a trail of destruction behind her as she darted through the French Market and toward the open area of the levee. Scampering after her was a strange black cat.

“Liza!” He found his voice and called after her, but it only seemed to spur her to run faster. She’d assumed he was reaching for a weapon! He knew it, and he realized how foolish his action had been. He didn’t have a choice. If he was going to talk with her, he’d have to run her down. He started after her at a wide-open sprint.

Her long hair fluttered behind her in a banner of flaxen gold, and Mike felt his heart contract. He could almost remember the feel of that hair in his hands, brushing across his face, teasing his skin as he slept beside this woman who was terrified of him. What had he done to her?

In the newspaper articles he dug up at the library, he’d found out more details about his disappearance. Five years before, he’d vanished from New Orleans, his business, and Liza’s life. For several months the police had continued to search for him, but he’d vanished without a trace.

The articles were filled with speculation about his “possible murder.” And the docks were thoroughly searched for his body. Which was never found.

The pieces of the past had begun to slip into place. Mike wasn’t sure what had happened to him—all he really knew was that he’d been severely beaten. His nearly dead body had been found in a boxcar at a train depot in North Dakota, and he’d been taken to the hospital as a John Doe. There, Gabe and Rachel Welch had seen him and given him the name Mike Davis.

For a man who had no memory of working cattle, he took to it like a natural. His hands toughened, and the rest of his body became strong and lean, thriving on hard work. And for five long years he’d spent many an endless night wondering who and what he’d been before he woke up in North Dakota.

He slowed his sprint once he was close enough to Liza to keep her in his sights. He’d decided to trail after her until she was tired. That way, he might have a better chance to explain himself. He had an inkling of what she must be feeling—fear and fury. Unless the newspaper and local magazines had doctored their stories, he and Liza had been deeply in love. For five years she’d lived with his seeming abandonment.

She was only thirty yards ahead of him, running along the levee—running away from the bustling French Market and the tourist area. He knew she was reacting blindly, and that when she realized that she was running into a trap, she’d be only that much more afraid of him. Somehow he had to think of a way to calm her.

She was tiring and beginning to slow. And she’d begun to realize her miscalculation—he could see the panic in the quick way she turned left and right, hunting for a way back. He knew that in the last fading light of the day, he blocked her path.

“Liza,” he called out. “Liza, I only want to talk to you.”

She finally stopped. With what had to be great courage, she swung around to face him, half her face and body silhouetted against the beauty of the spring sunset. She stood on the levee, the west side still awash in the dying light and the east side, where land met river, only a black shadow.

“Who are you?” she called back. “What do you want?”

“I only want to talk.” She was so incredibly beautiful that it almost took his breath away. Her fear was his pain. “I don’t have a weapon.” He held open both sides of his coat to show his chest. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to talk.”

“Leave me alone.” Her voice broke and he could hear the tears in her voice. “Please, please, just leave me alone. I’m begging you. Quit scaring me. Please…”

Something in her voice struck a familiar chord and he hesitated. He’d loved her once with all his heart. He knew it. He could feel the memory of it. And he was terrifying her. It was wrong. He had to back off and give her a chance to talk to him willingly. He couldn’t just herd her down the levee and corral her as he would a stray cow.

“Liza, I’m going—”

The gunshot rang out and Mike felt the bullet whiz only a millimeter from his head. He ducked instinctively and rolled down the side of the levee toward the black current of the river. It was a steep incline, and he lost control, his body tumbling against the hard rocks that marked the edge of the Mississippi River.

Liza’s scream was a piercing wail of horror and fear.

“Stop!” she cried out. “Stop!”

Another shot blasted the night and fragments of rock exploded only a few inches from Mike’s leg. He forced his body to remain perfectly still. He was hidden in the darkness. As long as he didn’t panic, he was safe. Or relatively so. He listened intently, hoping for that telltale noise that would alert him to his attacker’s whereabouts.

Working on the ranch, Mike had often faced the dangers of nature. To his knowledge, he’d never been attacked by another human being—except that he’d once been almost beaten to death and nearly died in a boxcar. Not exactly something a mountain lion or grizzly would do. The problem was, he didn’t remember any of that. He didn’t remember why someone had wanted to kill him.

But someone did. Someone remembered very well and seemed to have come to finish the job.

Mike wasn’t certain he could swim, but he couldn’t just hunker down and wait for someone to kill him. He slipped into the water and was startled by its depth. With the darkness for cover, his best chance to escape injury or possible death was to swim back downriver. As he let the swift current of the big river take him, he discovered that he could, at least, swim.

LIZA RECOGNIZED Trent Maxwell after the first shot. She’d been relieved to see him until the second shot. It registered on her then that he was firing on a man who was possibly already injured and might be unarmed.

She rushed toward Trent and grabbed his arm, pulling the gun down. “Trent, stop it. Have you lost your mind?” She stared into the darkness where she could only hear the river lapping hungrily at the rocks. “My God, did you kill him?” Her emotions were ricocheting in all directions. She’d been terrified of the man who was chasing her, but she also felt a rushing need to protect him.

“I missed him. Are you okay?” Trent grasped both of her shoulders though he kept his grip on the gun and a wary eye on the side of the levee. “Who was that man? What did he want?”

Liza found that she couldn’t answer. She shook her head and was comforted by Trent’s strong hands as he rubbed her arms. She was suddenly extremely cold. Despite the warm spring night, she shivered violently.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here.” Trent held her tightly.

Closing her eyes, Liza leaned her forehead against his chest and let the horror of the past few moments wash over and through her.

“It was Duke,” she finally said. “He wanted to talk to me. Are you sure you didn’t hit him?”

There was a long pause while she waited for Trent to respond.

“Duke Masonne?”

Though he made a sincere effort to hide it, Liza heard the skepticism in his voice.

“I told you I’d seen him. Now I’ve spoken to him.” She couldn’t see Trent’s features in the darkness, but she could feel his body tense.

“Let’s head back to the lights,” Trent suggested, his arm around her shoulders and his hand on her arm. He pulled her hard against his side.

“Maybe we should…call someone,” Liza said, uneasily conscious of the fact that in protecting her, Trent had fired his weapon and very likely put himself in line for disciplinary action.

“Who should we call?”

She wasn’t certain. Not the police. Who? “An ambulance?” she offered.

“I didn’t hit him. I’m positive. If I’d wanted to, I would have. By now, he’s downriver. And judging from your last experience with Duke Masonne, it’ll be another five years before you see him again.”

Liza felt as if she’d been slapped. “Trent—”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That came out wrong. I was trying to put a humorous light on what just happened. Let me tell you what I saw—a man chasing after you with his hand not clearly visible. When I got closer, you’d both stopped and you were begging him to leave you alone. He was doing something with his jacket. I couldn’t see from behind, but I was afraid he was pulling out a gun, so I fired. Close enough to let him know I meant business but with room to spare.”

“You missed him deliberately?”

“I didn’t have a reason to shoot him. I just wanted to make your Duke Masonne look-alike hit the road. Did he say anything else? Some clue as to who he was?”

“Like what?” Liza felt the first traces of her temper. Trent was behaving as if she’d made up the entire incident, treating it as some flight of fancy or some sick way to handle delusions. “You saw him, Trent. You shot at him. It was Duke. Don’t act like I’m having a hallucination or a nightmare. He was real. He was right there.”

As they continued walking, Trent let the silence grow for a moment. “I saw a man, Liza. It was dark, and I was far enough away that I didn’t get a clear look at him. But I heard you ask him to leave you alone and then beg him. Whatever he wanted, whoever he was, he’s a man who needed to know that when a lady requests to be left alone, he should oblige.”

Liza started to protest further, but she knew it was useless. Even if Trent had seen Duke, it would be hard for him to accept it. The accepted version of Duke Masonne’s disappearance was that he was dead.

They’d made it back to a busier part of the levee, and in the distance Liza could see the bright lights of the French Market. She was suddenly aware that the black cat was no longer with her.

“Familiar.” She turned and whirled, but the cat was gone without a trace.

“What?” Trent said.

“The cat. Did you see him?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t see a cat.” His smile was wry. “I’m not much good to you today, Liza. I didn’t recognize Duke and I didn’t see your kitty. You might have to trade me for a model with better eyesight.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “But I did see you, and when I saw how frightened you were, I wanted to hurt that man, whoever he was.”

Liza felt the brush of his fingertips on her skin. His touch was amazingly gentle, as it had always been for a man who lived such a rough-and-tumble life. In the two months she’d spent time with Trent Maxwell, he’d been an absolute gentleman. If she could have willed her heart to respond to him more fully, she would have.

“I can’t undo the evening, but I can treat you to a wonderful dinner with some nice wine. You look so tired. It just makes me want to take care of you.”

Liza swallowed. She wanted to say no. All she really wanted was to return to the levee and try to find a trace of Duke. She wanted physical evidence that he’d been there. That she’d seen him. That he was real.

And he was. Flesh and blood, not some apparition. He’d spoken to her. And he’d frightened her beyond rational thought. Why? What was it that she was so afraid of where Duke was concerned?

“Liza, what about dinner?”

“That would be lovely,” she said, forcing a smile. Trent was trying hard to become important in her life. He was a patient man who would defend her with his life. She knew she could do a lot worse.

“Maybe I should go back and look for the cat,” she said, turning toward the river. She almost hoped that Duke would climb up the side of the levee and approach her now, where it was light and where there were other people who could see him clearly.

“There wasn’t a cat in sight. He’ll show up when he’s ready. You know how independent cats are.”

“Eleanor Curry left him with me. What if he’s lost?”

“You aren’t going to find that cat unless he wants to be found. I’ll help you hunt tomorrow.”

Liza felt a flush of anger. Trent was trying to be helpful, but… “Maybe I should just go home,” she said softly.

“You shouldn’t be alone right now. You’ve had a bad scare. What about Renaldo’s? You like Italian.”

“Fine,” she agreed because it was the easiest thing to do. And because she didn’t really want to go back to her home and spend the night alone.

WELL, OUR APPARITION HAS physical form. He’s the spitting image of all of those drawings hidden away in Liza’s secret studio. Duke Masonne. The missing link in Liza’s past. Well, well. He’s a living, breathing humanoid with one helluva breaststroke in the mighty Mississip. I hate to abandon Miss Renoir, but I think my case will be better served if I follow this character.

I’ve deduced that he knows Liza, which indicates to me that he has a lot of explaining to do. Five years is a long time to be gone for a pack of cigarettes, as the old saying goes. But in the fading light of dusk, I could detect a few changes in the physical exterior of our missing hero.

He’s lost twenty pounds and toughened up. Where he used to be a desk jockey, he now makes a living in the elements. He’s lost that polished, citified look.

And from the expression on his face when he looked at Liza, he doesn’t mean her any harm. The plot thickens.

So where has he been and what’s he doing back in New Orleans? Those are questions that will be answered only when I track him down. Which is exactly what I’m going to do.

I suppose those soft-shell crabs will have to wait. Just breathing this river air makes me want to wrestle a catfish to the deep fryer.

I hear him swimming. He’s strong. Good endurance. Pretty soon, though, he should be climbing up the levee. Yep, here he comes. Not exactly the happiest humanoid I’ve ever encountered.

I’ll just bet he’s wondering who took two shots at him. A question I’d also like answered. He was obviously some friend of Liza’s. Her current romantic interest, I’d guess. A man who carries a gun and uses it, so that makes him a law officer in all likelihood. He wasn’t in a hurry to leave the scene of the shooting, so he must have reason to believe that if he’s questioned, he has the right credentials.

Well, here comes the long-departed Duke Masonne. The river has left him chilled and dripping. So I’ll follow him home and see what clues I can dredge up from his hideout.

If he’s up to no good, then I’ll have a chance to set up a few traps for him before he can do any more damage to Miss Renoir. I’d say she’s been hurt enough.

I hate to leave her without a hint of where I’m going, but perhaps I’ll be able to deliver the goods on this guy. In the meantime, I have to say he’s interesting. He’s walking around dripping wet and acting as if it were an everyday occurrence. He’s so good at it that he isn’t even drawing attention. Hmmm. I’ll have to study his technique. He just blends right in. And we’re headed down Toulouse toward the heart of the French Quarter. The sun has gone down, the moon is out, and it’s party time in “The City that Care Forgot.”

Wow! I don’t think Eleanor would like it if she knew I was traveling down Bourbon Street. Jazz, strippers, tap-dancing juveniles, and tourists all drinking that strange red drink in those tall glasses. I believe they’re called Hurricanes, a New Orleans specialty. Man, humanoids partying en masse.

At last, though, we’re turning down a quiet street. Pretty ritzy. So old Duke has some dough. Audubon Place. Very chic. I think maybe I’ll have to take a look in his refrigerator before too much more time passes.

Chapter Four

Mike stepped out of the shower, his body warmed by the stinging spray but his heart still chilled by the events on the levee. Someone had shot at him. In the world of North Dakota where he’d spent the past five years, a weapon wasn’t drawn except in self-defense or for protection.

Was he a threat to Liza Hawkins?

The only answer he had was in the newspaper clippings he’d read at the library. Nowhere had he caught even a hint of something that might explain what had just occurred. Or what had happened to him five years ago when he’d been so badly beaten.

He toweled himself dry and slipped into clean clothes. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw a black cat sitting in the doorway. It didn’t seem possible, but it appeared to be the same cat that had been with Liza.

“Meow.”

He stared at the animal.

“Meow.” The cat walked toward him and brushed against his leg.

“Where the hell did you come from?” he asked, wondering if he’d somehow slipped over the edge of sanity.

The cat didn’t answer but walked toward the kitchen, one black paw batting at the refrigerator door.

“You’re hungry?”

“Meow.”

He opened the refrigerator and watched as the cat proceeded to check out his food, finally selecting a plate of leftover grilled tuna. Mike took it out and put it on the floor, watching as the cat began to eat.

“Glad to oblige,” he said, still amazed. “At least one of us has an appetite.” Food was the last thing on his mind. He walked to his apartment window, which looked out on a New Orleans street that might have been in one of Liza’s paintings.

What had he done that might provoke someone to try to shoot him? And how good a shot was the shooter? Had he missed deliberately? Mike suspected that he had. The gunshots had been intended to drive him away, not mortally wound him. But why?

Duke Masonne had been a businessman. Successful, involved with the art world through Liza, a man who seemed to be solid and reputable. Seemed to be. That was the key phrase. Behind that facade there was something else, and Mike knew he had to dig it up no matter what it revealed about himself.

For the first time he understood Rachel Welch’s reluctance about his need to explore the past. “Some things are better left alone,” she told him, tears in her eyes as she’d watched him pack for the trip to New Orleans. “People change, Mike. Whatever was in the past, you’ve left it behind. Don’t go walking back into it.”

If he’d heeded her advice, he would be out in the sharp April wind, birthing calves and drinking gallons of hot coffee with Gabe and the other men. There had been a sense of accomplishment in that life, a sense of purpose that he’d lost since coming back to New Orleans. Just as Rachel had warned, he’d stepped into a quagmire. With each fact he uncovered, he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.

It wasn’t too late to leave. He could pack his bags, board a plane and be back in North Dakota by morning. He knew Rachel and Gabe well enough to know they’d never question him about what he’d discovered. He could bury the past once and for all if he’d only walk away.

The image of Liza appeared in his mind. He saw her face, eyes wide with shock and fear. Even at the memory, he felt his heart lurch. He wasn’t sure what the emotion was, but whatever it might be, it was too strong to walk away from. He had to know the truth. About Liza Hawkins and about himself.

“Meow.”

He turned to find the cat staring at him with a look filled with wisdom.

“She’s worth the risk, isn’t she?” he asked.

The cat nodded, one golden eye winking in agreement.

LIZA SAT AT THE TABLE in Renaldo’s waiting for Trent to return from the phone. He’d had to file a report about the shooting, but he’d assured her it would take only a few moments. She was glad for the time alone.

Her mind danced around the issue of what had just happened. Duke Masonne had suddenly reappeared. After five years, he’d emerged from the fading daylight and spoken her name.

Or had he?

Her hands gripped the seat of her chair. “Please,” she whispered. “Please don’t let me be losing my mind.”

It was her biggest fear. For five years, every night, she’d fantasized and dreamed of Duke’s return. During the long afternoons when she’d sat in her private studio and drawn his features, she’d thought of what it would be like to see him again. She’d prayed for it.

But the reality was a far cry from anything she’d ever imagined. Instead of joy, the rush of love and happiness that she’d expected, she was terrified. Never in her life had she been more afraid.

The tears welled in her eyes and she blinked them away. Deep inside, she felt as if she’d been battered in a way that would never heal.

“Liza? Are you okay?”

She looked up to see Trent staring down at her. “Yes. Just a little unnerved, I suppose.” She tried for a smile. “Are you sure that man wasn’t hurt?” She couldn’t bring herself to say Duke’s name, especially since Trent had made it clear that he didn’t believe it was Duke.

“The desk sergeant checked with the hospitals. No injuries reported. No bodies floating in the river.” He smiled. “That’s a joke. I told you I didn’t hit him. If I’d meant to, he’d still be on the levee. Whoever he was, I doubt he’ll be bothering you again.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say thanks. “I’m worried about the cat. I should go home and see if he’s there.”

“You’re not hungry?”

She shook her head. “Honestly, I’m not. I’m sorry.”

“Have a glass of wine and I’ll take you home.”

She nodded. “One glass.” It would be simpler to concede than to argue. Renaldo’s was safe, easy. Home might not be. She would be alone, left with her thoughts and her fears. She knew all too well that wasn’t a good place to be.