| Chapter 1 The Woodbridge City Limits sign caused several expressions to flit across Randi Meyers’ face. Nervousness warred with curiosity as she slowed her yellow 1978 Corvette, mindful of the radar traps that always caught motorists unaware. Welcome to Podunk, USA, she thought bitterly, the old familiar feelings starting to gnaw away at her stomach. The small Texas town was also home to a large Christian university, and wasn't known for being progressive. Even though she had grown up in the little town of Woodbridge, Texas, she had never felt as if she belonged. It wasn't until she had moved away and come to terms with her own sexuality that she had begun to feel like she fit in somewhere. And is sure isn't here. Except for the occasional family holiday, Randi had rarely returned to her hometown since she’d graduated from high school almost eighteen years earlier. But even when she did visit, she rarely ventured far from her grandmother's home. Those who knew her back then would be hard-pressed to recognize her now. The long, medium-brown hair that used to trail down to her waist had been cut to just above her collar and was now liberally streaked with gray. Her light brown eyes were often hidden behind wire-framed glasses, and the once slender girl had become a slightly stocky, mature woma With a heavy sigh, she pulled her automobile into the parking lot of a roadside motel on the outskirts of the sleepy town. Unfolding herself from the car, Randi grimaced. The aches from sitting too long reminded her that she was no longer twenty-years-old and she limped to the motel office on pained knees, remnants of too many years of playing sports with the feeling of invincibility. The garish Halloween decorations scattered around the small lobby presaged the next day’s holiday. A smiling Middle-Eastern gentleman behind the counter greeted her. “Good afternoon, madam. How may I be of service to you today?” His thick accent told of his Pakistani heritage, and it took a moment to register in Randi’s mind what he had said. “Ah, yes. I need a room for the next two days,” she said, reaching into the back pocket of her jeans for a brown leather wallet that had seen better times. She thumbed through scores of old receipts and other bits of paper until she found her rarely used credit card, passing it over to the clerk with a tired smile on her face. “Very good, madam.” The middle-aged man accepted the card and slid it through a slot along the top of the computer keyboard, then handed it back to her. He studied the computer screen and looked back up at her. “Smoking or non?” “Smoking,” Randi mumbled, the long drive finally catching up to her. She accepted her key and nodded automatically as the man droned on about the room. “Right. Thanks.” Although the clerk continued to talk about the “new and improved” rooms, Randi turned and waved as she left the motel office. After stopping by her car long enough to pull a large duffel bag from the trunk, Randi pushed open the door to her room and tossed the bag onto the far side of the bed, dropping her exhausted body right next to it. Upon waking from her short nap, the still-weary traveler sat up and rubbed her eyes. Deciding to unpack, Randi unzipped the heavy duffel then pulled out her clothes. Rolled up to keep from being wrinkled, a quick snap was all that was needed to make them presentable. She hung up the black slacks and shirt and brushed specks of lint from the matching jacket. “Looks good enough to me,” she muttered, knowing that her grandmother wouldn’t feel the same. The old woman never let a chance to complain pass her by, and Randi knew that when Edna Meyer's youngest granddaughter appeared for the funeral dressed in something other than a black dress, there would be hell to pay. Randi’s uncle, Randolph Meyers, was being buried the following afternoon. He had lived a fast-paced and prosperous life, but due to the fact that her father and he never got along, the young woman who shared his name had only met him twice, the last being her grandfather's funeral, years previously. Randi had vague memories of a man too busy with his many business ventures to ever get married, and who would dote on his nephews while virtually ignoring his nieces. She was to be the sole representative of her branch of the family for the gathering. Her parents, who had moved to Santa Fe after they retired, were on a well-deserved cruise and couldn’t make it back in time for the funeral. Randi’s two older brothers were at separate ends of the country, neither one willing to take time off from their own lives to mourn the death of the man who had sent them through their respective colleges. Her uncle had never offered to pay Randi’s way through school, and she was too stubborn and full of pride to ask. She had worked her way through college, taking almost twice as long to get her veterinarian degree because of the scarcity of money. Bitterness brewed in her stomach at the ingratitude of her siblings. Pricks. Uncle Randolph gave them everything, and they can’t even be bothered with seeing him off. She walked over to the dressing area of the motel room and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles still appeared prominently under her eyes, and tiny lines had begun to form around her mouth from years of smoking. Reaching into her shirt pocket, Randi removed a slightly crumpled red and white pack and pulled out a cigarette with her teeth. Glaring at the stranger in the mirror, she dug into her jeans and grabbed a silver lighter, flicked it open, and waved the flame at the end of the stick of tobacco. A few more wrinkles won’t hurt anything. # Halloween afternoon turned out to be overcast and humid. Randi made her way from the car to the church, limping slightly as the damp weather aggravated her aching knees. Trying to slip into the entryway unnoticed, she cringed as the heavy door slammed behind her. She stood just inside the doorway for a moment, hesitant to remove her sunglasses in the bright artificial light. The local funeral home wasn't large enough to accommodate the crowd that was expected at Randolph Meyers’ funeral, so the services were being held at the First Baptist Church of Woodbridge. The cavernous interior could easily hold several hundred people, and from the looks of things, it would barely be large enough for today's gathering. Randi looked up at the stained-glass windows that covered three sides of the room and sighed. She remembered being forced to attend services at this very church with her grandmother every Sunday when she was a young girl. Randi's parents were never the churchgoing types, so Edna took it upon herself to see that her granddaughter's spiritual needs were met, much to Randi's dismay. Heads turned at her entry and several sets of eyes narrowed as they spotted the dark-haired woman in the doorway. Two women, slightly older than Randi and clad in prim black dresses, rushed over to the newcomer and shook their heads in comic unison. "My goodness, but you've let yourself go, Randi. How long has it been?" one of the women tittered. Amy was an inch or so shorter than Randi, and quite a few pounds heavier. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was cut in an expensive style, and her makeup looked as if it had been applied by a professional. Only three years Randi's senior, Amy and her twin, Andi, had always enjoyed taunting their cousin. "Not long enough," Randi mumbled under her breath. She removed her sunglasses and raised an eyebrow at her two cousins. "Amy…Andi. Doesn't look like either one of you have starved to death, yourselves." She gestured toward Amy’s hair. "Decided to go lighter this year, huh?" Both were naturally brunettes, but it seemed like every time Randi saw them, they sported a new shade. Two blonde heads bobbed simultaneously. "Somewhat," Amy said. "But our husbands don't seem to mind." Her insincere smile turned nasty. "I don't see a ring on your finger, cousin. Still can't find a man to put up with you?" Amy exchanged amused looks with her sibling. "Or maybe there's not even a woman around who'll give you the time of day." Randi's sexuality had been a topic of conversation between the sisters ever since she told her family she was a lesbian, several years prior. Her two cousins rarely let an opportunity go by without getting in some sort of catty remark. One…two…three…Randi counted to herself before answering. "Unlike you two, I tend to be particular about who I'm with." She looked over their heads at a tiny, elderly woman who was waving a white handkerchief in their direction. "I'd love to stay and chat, but it looks like Grandma needs me." Pushing past the simpering twins, Randi straightened her back and steeled herself for Round Two. "Good Lord, Randi Sue. What are you wearing?" Although she was in her mid-eighties, Edna Meyers had a voice like a bullhorn and loved to hear her words echo around her. Her diminutive stature was deceiving - the matriarch lorded over the Meyers clan with an iron fist. Edna loved each and every one of her grandchildren, but the woman standing in front of her had always found ways to antagonize her. She held out her arms. "Come give your grandmamma a hug, child." Properly castigated, Randi stepped forward and allowed herself to be gathered into the frail woman's arms. She leaned down and kissed the nearest wrinkled cheek. "It's nice to see you too, Grandma," she whispered. Randi almost winced at the harsh words that tickled her own ear. "How dare you come here in slacks! What will people think?" the old woman whispered angrily. "You always have to be different, don't you? Just once, can't you behave like a lady?" Edna pulled back, and her wrinkled face wore a pained smile. "I see the rest of your family isn't here, as usual." Fighting the overwhelming urge to run from the church, Randi nodded. "Mom and Dad are somewhere in the Caribbean, and I honestly have no idea about Augie or John." Randi hadn't seen either of her brothers for well over a year. Neither of them had returned her calls when she tried to make arrangements to meet them for the funeral. Nothing unusual in that, she thought. They always were self-involved and petty. Edna looked around to see if anyone was listening. "Of course. I'm sure Augustus has his hands full, with his sweet wife recuperating from their last baby." She glared at her granddaughter. "That's number four, isn't it? When are you going to settle down? Although it's probably too late for you to have children." Randi took a deep breath and bit back an angry response. Why argue? She's probably right. My prospects for any sort of relationship are bleak, and I can't have children, anyway. During her early twenties, Randi had gone to the gynecologist for severe cramps and had been diagnosed with endometriosis, necessitating a hysterectomy soon thereafter. Only her mother and father were made aware of the surgery, so she quite often had to fend off inquiries like this from other family members. The sharp tones of her grandmother’s accusations still hurt, and Randi struggled to keep her composure. A man in an expensive suit stepped in and placed a gentle hand on Edna's arm. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Meyers, but the minister said it's about time to commence the services." He looked at Randi and nodded. "Randi. I didn't think we'd see you here, today." "That's what you get for thinking, Paul," Randi snapped. She studied her cousin Amy's husband for a moment as Edna made her way to the front of the church. Paul Whitaker was five years older than Randi and extremely arrogant. He owned a jewelry store in the town's only mall and often gloated about his successes at family gatherings. Tall, thin, and quickly losing what little dark hair he had left, the jeweler had gotten on Randi's bad side sixteen years earlier on the day of her grandfather's funeral. He had tried to edge his way into the family limousine with Edna, elbowing Randi in the ribs and shoving her out of the way. The older woman may have been grieving, but she caught on to him immediately and required that he called her Mrs. Meyers ever since. He met Randi’s gaze, then made a show of looking behind his wife's cousin. "Alone, again?" With an ugly sneer, Paul looked her over from head to toe. "It's no wonder, the way you dress." Before Randi could come up with a suitable retort, Amy rushed by and grabbed Paul's arm. "We have to hurry, if we're going to get good seats near the front," she whined, pulling him away without even glancing at her cousin. "Assholes," Randi grumbled, pushing her way through the crowd and slipping unobtrusively into a rear pew. # Randi winced as her car found another large pothole on the cemetery’s graveled lane. “You’d think they’d join the twenty-first century and pave the road,” she cursed to no one in particular. Her nerves were still on edge from the confrontation with the family at the church. Thankful that she hadn’t joined the rest of the family in the limousines, Randi parked her car at the end of the queue. She glanced at the dark clouds and shook her head as she realized that her umbrella was in her apartment, several hundred miles away. The heavy breeze brought with it a damp and eerie feeling, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. “Definitely Halloween,” Randi mumbled as she followed several others to the graveside. Trying to stay away from her family, she stood at the back of the crowd, not even able to hear the minister’s words. Bored, she glanced around at some of the other people around her. Everywhere she looked, Randi could see money and power. Her uncle had been an influential man, and she wasn't too surprised to see a senator and several congressmen on the scene. The last time she had seen Randolph Meyers was over ten years ago. The occasion was one of Edna's holiday family gatherings, and the matriarch had harangued most of the family members until they agreed to attend. Although rich and powerful, Randolph was not immune to his mother's well-rehearsed guilt trips, so he had promised to come, as well. "Randi Sue, there you are," Edna proclaimed loudly. She had left the kitchen in search of her youngest granddaughter, and quickly grabbed the younger woman by the arm and pulled her from the living room. Slipping into an unoccupied bedroom, Edna closed the door and looked up into the surprised brown eyes. "I need you to do something for me, dear." Confused, Randi shrugged. "Sure, Grandma, whatever you need. Do you want me to chase Amy and Andi out of the kitchen?" "No, child. Although, that's not a half-bad idea," Edna said as she let out a cackle. She sat down on the edge of the nearby bed and patted the space next to her. Waiting until Randi was beside her, she took the younger woman's hand and held it gently. "You're the only one of these idiots here I trust," she said, and as she spoke, it seemed like the wind went out of her. "What's wrong, Grandma?" Randi was becoming increasingly concerned over her grandmother's demeanor. In seconds, she had gone from high-energy to depressed. The matriarch seemed almost defeated, and it scared her. Edna stroked the strong hand in hers, not making eye contact. "There's something that needs doing, and it's either ask you, or do it myself and leave those morons in charge of my kitchen." "Whatever it is, I'll do it." "Wonderful." Edna reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out her car keys. "Your uncle Randolph is arriving at the airport in less than an hour, and I need you to go pick him up." "What?" Randi stood up. "All of this secrecy, just to pick someone up at the airport? I don't understand." "No, you wouldn't," Edna said. "My son is a very influential man. This is one of the few family gatherings he's chosen to attend, and I don't want some simpering cousin or in-law trying to get money or favors out of him between the airport and the house." She stood up and touched her granddaughter's cheek, in a rare show of emotion. "Randi Sue, you're the only person in this family who has never asked anything of him, and I know you never would. Please, do this for me?" Randi nodded. "If it means that much to you, I will. But why your car keys? My car runs perfectly fine." Smiling, the older woman patted Randi's cheek. "Don't take this wrong, but he's much too important to be riding around in that old heap of yours." Almost an hour later, Randi found herself standing at the terminal holding up a placard with Randolph's name on it. She couldn't exactly remember what her uncle looked like, and the last thing she needed was to miss him and upset her grandmother. People embarked from the gate, and she studied the crowd for some hint of the man for whom she was waiting. Momentarily, Randi stood face-to-face with a foul-tempered man holding an unlit cigar between his teeth. His height and build reminded Randi of her father, but that's where the similarity ended. Randolph Meyers wore his dissatisfaction with the world on his face like some people wore a favorite shirt - it looked like hell, but he was comfortable in it. Thrusting several claim checks into the young woman's face, he demanded, "Fetch my luggage, girl - and be quick about it. I don't have all day." With that, he disappeared through the outer doors of the terminal, on his way to light the cigar that he chewed on so mercilessly. "Uh--" Randi was taken by surprise and only moved when she was nudged by a young man wearing a dark suit and a chauffeur's cap. Mistaking her for a driver, he said, "Better get moving. You'll never get a decent tip by standing around." A quick glance at her jeans and sweatshirt caused him to shake his head sadly. "You'd better learn to dress nicer, too. They like that." With a wink, he took off to help his elderly client with his carry-on. Once Randi had loaded the baggage into the trunk, she efficiently maneuvered the dark Lincoln through heavy traffic. Woodbridge was a small town, but its airport was the only one for over one hundred miles in any direction, and the abundance of vehicles on the roads around it attested to that fact. "You must be new," Randolph muttered from the backseat. Looking into the rear-view mirror, Randi frowned. "How do you mean?" He waved an impatient hand in the air. "You drive too slow, and you dress like hell. What service are you from, anyway?" "Service?" "Yes, you idiot. Service." Randolph sighed and leaned forward. "Who is your employer?" Still not understanding, the young woman turned her eyes back to the road. "Actually, I'm working two different jobs right now. Why do you ask?” I don't care what Grandma says, this guy's an asshole, Randi thought to herself. I can't believe that he's related to my father. Randolph fell back against the seat. "Never mind. Just get me there in one piece, and I won't have you fired," he grumbled. The rest of the drive continued in silence, until Randi pulled the late-model car into the driveway. She had barely put the vehicle into park when her uncle opened his door and climbed out. "Just put my bags on the porch," he ordered, tossing several bills into the backseat. "Now wait just a damned minute.” Randi barely gave the money a second glance before she chased after him. "You can get your own bags.” He turned around and glared at her, not seeing his mother open the front door. "Do you have any idea who I am?" Randi nodded. Through gritted teeth, she said, "My father's brother,” then pushed by him and into the house. As she passed her grandmother, she handed Edna the keys and continued into the living room, where some of the family sat watching a football game. Now, standing at the rear of the jam-packed crowd, Randi shook her head. "I don't even know why I bothered to show up," she mumbled under her breath. "He was nothing to me." Her heart knew the answer. Family meant everything to Randi, and she knew that Edna had expected her attendance, no matter how distant she was to the deceased. So, to keep the peace and appease her grandmother, here she was. Randi was startled when a cool hand grasped hers, causing her to look down. Standing beside her was a young boy around ten years old. He wore a rumpled navy suit, the red and white striped tie knotted loosely at his unbuttoned collar. “Um, hi,” Randi said quietly. He squeezed her hand tighter and sniffled. Pale blue eyes filled with sadness looked up into hers. “I’m scared.” With a quick glance at the service in front of them, Randi squatted to place herself at eye level with the youngster. “Why are you scared? Where are your parents?” He pointed to a clutter of headstones several yards to their left, on the final row before the fence. “Mama’s over there.” Large tears began to trail down his face. “Kiki doesn’t feel good, either.” “Who’s Kiki?” Randi looked around, assuming the child was talking about a pet, or maybe a favorite toy. The boy pulled her hand until she stood up. “C’mon. Kiki doesn’t feel good.” He tried to tug her away, unnoticed by the large group of people. Randi allowed herself to be led through a break in what used to be a wire fence, but was now just a few rotting wood posts and rusted strands of wire partially buried in the overgrowth. She found herself in the midst of the heavy cedar and oak trees that bordered the cemetery, marveling at how focused the youngster was on his task. He still hasn’t told me who this ‘Kiki’ is. After a few minutes of walking in silence, she spared a glance behind them and realized with surprise that they were deep in the woods. Randi stopped, causing her young guide to look up and glare at her. “Hey! I told you that we have to go to Kiki,” he chastised Randi. His young face scrunched up into a pout, and he yanked his hand away to cross his arms over his chest. “Look, kid,” Randi returned his glare and slipped her hands into the pockets of her dark slacks, fighting the urge to light a cigarette. “I don’t know you, or this Kiki – for all I know, you’re leading me on a wild-goose chase.” Tears began to roll down his face again. “Kiki’s my sister, and she needs help.” He grabbed her arm and pulled. “Please.” The boy’s fear and sorrow touched her, but she still was not completely convinced. “This isn’t some Halloween prank? ’Cause if it is -” Her threat hung in the air. “No! I promise,” he pleaded. “Please. Nobody else will listen to me. She really needs you.” With a heavy sigh, Randi extended her hand. “All right.” She looked up through the dying leaves that still hung on the oak trees around them. “But we’d better hurry – it looks as if it’s gonna rain any time now.” After ten more minutes of walking, the boy stopped and pointed through some heavy shrubbery, which had begun to die for the winter. “Over there.” “Where? I don’t see…” Randi strained her eyes until she could barely make out a crumpled form in a small clearing, clad in a denim jacket and jeans. “Is that…?” She looked down, but the boy had disappeared. She glanced around. “Hey! Where did you go? Hey! Kid!” But he was nowhere to be seen. Fighting sharp branches, Randi finally struggled through the shrubbery and stumbled into an area about five yards in diameter. She knelt down next to the still body that was lying on its right side, turned away from her. Wet tendrils of dark blonde hair clung to the woman's face, which was pale from the cold. Reaching down, Randi gently touched a limp arm. “Miss?” Mud-covered athletic shoes showed that the woman had been walking in the woods for some time. Her right leg was twisted beneath her and the bits of dead leaves and smudges of dark soil made it clear that she had fallen down the slight hill that was just above their position. Randi didn’t know if the woman was breathing, so she leaned close to the pale face and listened for a breath, feeling a hint of warmth touch the side of her cheek. Relief flooded through her. Just as she was about to touch the slender wrist to check for a pulse, the woman moaned. Blinking several times, the injured woman looked up and saw the concerned face of a stranger looking down at her. “Who…” she croaked, then cleared her throat. “Who are you?” “My name’s Randi. Do you remember what happened to you?” “I was just out for my usual walk, when I tripped over a root and ended up down here.” She struggled to sit up, then tried to straighten her legs. She cried out as she leaned down and reached for her right ankle. “Oh, God! That hurts!” Randi pulled the other woman’s hand away before it grabbed the injury. “Hold on. Let me see.” She tried to push up the leg of the jeans, but they were tapered and wouldn’t budge. Unless this woman has extra-thick socks on, with all the swelling I’d have to say it’s broken. She looked up into the brown-flecked hazel eyes filled with tears. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to…” Randi pulled out the dark-handled pocketknife that had been given to her by her father when she was a teenager. She kept the blade of the old buck knife honed to razor sharpness, never knowing when she might need it. Holding it out for the injured woman to see, Randi gestured at the leg of the jeans. “Go ahead,” she said in a resigned voice. She sucked in a pained breath as the sharp knife sliced through the denim, feeling the pressure slip away from the swollen skin. “Ow!” she cried, as her foot was jostled in the process. “Sorry,” Randi apologized. Still kneeling at the woman’s feet, she glanced down at the ankle, which appeared quite swollen. Definitely broken. “We’re going to have to immobilize this.” She looked around the clearing, finally spying a few nearby sticks to use as a splint. After gathering up the dead wood, Randi knelt once again by the injured woman. She cut off the torn pant leg at the knee and sliced it into strips to help secure the ankle. “Where did your little brother go?” “My brother?” “Yeah, your brother. The little guy who dragged me through the woods to find you.” Randi looked down at the quiet face. “You’re Kiki, aren’t you?” If possible, the shocked face became even paler. “No one’s called me that in years. How’d you know?” “Like I said,” Randi explained, exasperated, still working to brace the broken limb. “This little boy, about ten years old, came up to me while I was at my uncle’s funeral. He told me that Kiki didn’t feel good, and he practically dragged me God-knows-how-far to here.” Randi stood up and dusted off her hands, studying the petite woman lying on the ground. Now how am I going to handle this? I’ve got to get her out of here, but I don’t want to leave her. I hope she’s as light as she looks. “Is there someplace close we can take you for help? I think I can piggy-back you.” “Are you sure? My house isn’t too far.” The injured woman cleared her throat. Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Katherine, although my friends call me Kay.” She pointed up the hill. “My house-” Her expression took on a faraway look. “Come on. Let me help.” Randi reached down to help Kay up onto her good leg. Kay’s glassy-eyed look caused Randi to think that she was going into shock. “Are you going to be okay?” When the woman nodded, Randi shifted around, staying close to Kay, and presented her back in order to hoist her up. “How far?” “I live just over that rise. It’s…” Kay trailed off, dropping her head forward onto Randi’s shoulder. Great, Randi sighed. Making certain that she had a good hold on her cargo, she began the slow process of hiking up the incline. Copyright 2008 Carrie Carr All Rights Reserved | 
