Deceived by Patricia H. Rushford

Author:Patricia H. Rushford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2014-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

13

“I wasn’t sure you’d come.” Roberts stood only inches from her and rested his arms on the railing. Jennie turned to look at him, barely able to make out his features. He smelled nice and had changed from his tropical touristy look to dinner clothes—a suit—maybe a tux. In the darkness she couldn’t be sure. She wondered if he still had his gun. “You shouldn’t have, you know. Not alone.”

Jennie couldn’t decide if he was teasing or patronizing her.

“You told me to come alone.”

“And you always do what strangers tell you?”

“Only when they’re government agents with a message from my dad.”

Roberts gazed into the darkness for what seemed like forever before he spoke again. “I caught the show you did on television,” he said, his voice barely audible in the wind. “Very impressive. You’ve turned into quite a young lady. Your father would be proud.”

“You knew my father?”

“Jason McGrady is an old friend.”

Present tense. The butterflies in Jennie’s stomach soared. Don’t get your hopes up, she told herself. But Jennie had to ask. She had to know. “You said is an old friend. Are you saying that my father is still alive?”

He didn’t answer. Jennie forgot to breathe and steeled herself against what she suspected would be a negative response.

Roberts ran a hand down his face. “That’s a difficult question to answer.”

“Why? He’s either dead or alive. I need to know. For once and for all, I need to know.” Her voice cracked. She gripped the railing even tighter. You are not going to cry, McGrady. You’re not. “Mr. Roberts, these last few years have been like a roller-coaster ride for me. Maybe it’s just been wishful thinking, but part of me has never been able to accept Dad’s death. His disappearance was like a chapter in a book without an ending. I can’t close it until I have the last chapter. After I did the television interview, J.B. and Gram told me Dad had died. The government even had a witness. It wasn’t what I wanted, but at least it was an ending.”

“Jennie…”

“No, let me finish.” She took a deep breath to steady herself. “I would have let it end there, but someone locked me in the sauna last night and then ransacked my room. The only thing missing was Dad’s picture. I couldn’t help but wonder why someone would want it. Part of me wants to believe Dad’s still alive, but if that’s true, then Gram and J.B. and the government have all lied to me. And if my father is alive, that means he has deceived me too.” Jennie bit her lip, unable to talk around the lump forming in her throat. Tears slid down her cheeks and dripped onto her evening gown.

Roberts handed her a handkerchief. “Either way you lose.”

Jennie nodded and blew her nose. “Can you tell me the truth?”

“That’s why I’m here, Jennie.” Roberts moved from the railing and suggested they find a place to sit. He then led her to the dimly

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