“Just a sec” he called, and opened the door. “Amanda is just changing.”

  Carlos grinned. “I heard she took off her clothes. Sorry I missed that.”

  The scowl on Jackson’s face silenced him.

  “Sorry. Please tell Amanda there’s a call for her in Kathy’s office. He’s waiting on the line.”

  Amanda’s hands trembled as she tried to do up her jeans. “I heard him” she said when Carlos came back into the boathouse. “I’ll never forgive myself if something has happened to Gran.” She took off Jackson’s shirt and pulled her T-shirt over her head. Then she slipped her feet back into her shoes and ran to Kathy’s office.

  “Line two.” Kathy nudged the office phone across the desk as she rose. “I’ll be outside.”

  “Hello?”

  “Amanda, what are you playing at?”

  “Vince?”

  “Who else would it be?” He was shouting. “I go away for a few days and when I have to come back early to take care of some business my wife is gone.”

  “You’re at home?”

  “I just said that, didn’t I?”

  “How did you find me?” The moment the words were out of her mouth she regretted them.

  “Why, are you hiding?”

  “No, it’s just that...” She didn’t know what she wanted to say.

  “The garage called me about the car. Seems they’ve been trying to get in touch with you since last night but you weren’t available, so they called me.”

  “They called you?”

  “My name’s on the registration papers. Jeez, Amanda has your brain gone to mush? And what are you doing there, anyway?”

  “It’s a long story, Vince.”

  “Well you can tell me on the way home.”

  “The way home?”

  “Will you stop repeating everything I say? Yes, I’m coming up to get you.”

  “What about the Range Rover?”

  “They can’t get the part they need for a week. They’ll have it delivered back to Vancouver when it’s ready.”

  Everything was moving too quickly. She couldn’t think straight. “When are you coming?” She glanced at the clock on the wall. Was it really only nine thirty? So much had happened already this morning.

  “I’ll be there around two, two-thirty. We’ll drive back tonight.”

  “Oh.”

  “Well don’t sound so enthusiastic.”

  “It’s just that...” she let her voice trail off. He wouldn’t care that she wanted to ensure that Carlos was properly trained. Besides, that wasn’t really what was on her mind. “All right. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  “Just be ready.”

  She stood staring at the handset. She didn’t want to go home; didn’t want to leave Jackson. She looked up, startled when Kathy came back into the room. “I didn’t know you were here.”

  “I wasn’t. I just got back from a quick trip into town. The phone was ringing when I stepped inside the office.” She gave Amanda a quick hug. “I don’t know how to thank you for rescuing Logan. He’s such a stubborn child.”

  “He sure wants to learn how to fish.” She pressed her fingertips to her temple. “I’m getting a headache.”

  Kathy rummaged round in her drawer and pulled out a small bottle of Tylenol. “Here, take a couple of these and you’ll feel better.” She looked at her kindly. “I didn’t mean to listen in on your call, but are you leaving us?”

  Amanda swallowed two pills without water. “Yes. That was my husband; he’s coming to get me this afternoon.” She looked distractedly around the room. “I don’t want to go home.” Her focus came back to Kathy. “Carlos will need a helper.”

  “He says he has a friend in town who can start any time. I’ll give him the word right after I write you a cheque.” She went behind her desk and took out a cheque book. “I can’t begin to tell you how much we appreciate everything you’ve done.”

  Amanda held up a hand. “Thanks Kathy, but I don’t want to be paid. I should be paying you. Working here has been the best thing that’s happened to me for a long time.”

  Kathy paused, pen in the air. “Are you sure? It wouldn’t be a lot, but I don’t feel right.”

  Amanda tried to keep her tone light. “You gave me a cottage, and I met some very nice people while I was here.”

  Kathy gave her a sly smile. “That Jackson’s something, all right.”

  Amanda just smiled. Kathy had said it all.

  “Okay then, I’ll go and tell Carlos he’s the new head cook.” She scurried out of the room.

  Amanda wandered outside and down to the boathouse. Jackson had up-ended the canoe so it could dry out. He appeared as she stepped onto the dock, concern evident in his eyes.

  “Was it your grandmother?”

  She shook her head. “No. That was Vince.”

  “Your husband?”

  She nodded, then looked away from him. “He’s coming to get me this afternoon.”

  A sharp intake of breath was his only reaction.

  “I don’t want to go.” She was struggling to hold herself together. “But what I want doesn’t matter. He’ll be here around two.”

  “I still don’t have your phone number.”

  “And I don’t have yours.”

  “Where’s your cell?”

  “At the cottage.”

  He started forward and she shook her head. “No, Jackson. I don’t trust myself if you come to my cottage.” She looked at the boathouse. “If Carlos hadn’t interrupted us...”

  “We’d be in there right now, making love.” His voice was husky with desire. “You’re right not to let me come to your cottage but promise me you won’t leave until we’ve exchanged numbers.”

  “I promise. I’m going to pack up my stuff and bring it to the restaurant; Vince won’t want to hang around. But I’ll be cooking lunch. We’ll see each other, won’t we?” She was missing him already.

  “I’ll make sure of that.” He watched her walk away. He was also going to make sure to get a good look at this husband of hers.

  Chapter Ten

  Amanda didn’t see Jackson again until lunch. He arrived around one thirty, ordered a hamburger at the counter and went to sit outside at one of the picnic tables. He was sitting there staring into a mug of coffee when she brought out the food.

  “Penny for your thoughts.” She ached to reach out and touch him.

  He raised his head and looked at her as though he was memorizing her features. “It’s not ending here, Amanda. I just want you to know that.” He held out his hand. “Your cell phone.”

  He entered her phone number into his cell and glanced up. “I’m going to put my number in yours. What name shall I use?”

  She thought for a moment. “Tiffany.”

  He raised an eyebrow, did as she asked and handed the phone back to her.

  “People are looking at us,” she said. She was right; some of the campers were staring openly. “I’d better go.”

  She paused at the door and looked back at him for a fleeting moment. He thought he saw tears in her eyes but he couldn’t be sure.

  * * *

  Vince pulled up in his Hummer shortly after two. He got out, stretched and looked around, taking in the resort with a critical eye.

  “I think your husband is here.” Carlos had been on alert ever since Amanda brought him up to date.

  She looked out the window and sighed. “Yes, that’s him, and he’s smoking one of those disgusting cigarillos.”

  Vince walked past the picnic tables, smoke trailing after him. A few of the campers fanned the air in protest but he didn’t seem to notice. He entered the restaurant and Amanda scurried out from the kitchen with her backpack.

  “I’m ready.” She gave him a weak smile. “Shall we go?” She didn’t want anyone here to see the way he treated her.

  Vince grunted and walked back out the door. He looked over the few campers still sitting at the picnic tables and his gaze came to rest on Jackson. His eyes narrowed for a moment and then he walked to the vehicle, not checking to see if Amanda was with him or not.

  Amanda didn’t look at Jackson although every sensory receptor in her body was aware of him, feeling him watching her. She was afraid that if she looked in his direction her eyes would give her away. Surely anyone could see how she felt about him.

  She climbed up into the Hummer.

  “Do you have anyone you need to say goodbye to?”

  She gave him a sharp look, surprised at the comment. “Not really. I said goodbye to everyone before lunch.”

  He glanced over at her as if he didn’t believe her. “If you say so.”

  He was spoiling for a fight; she could tell the signs. But she kept silent and he did the same, driving in his usual aggressive manner.

  After about an hour she took out her cell phone. There it was: Jackson’s number. She smiled and went to close the phone, then noticed that the battery was down. She plugged it into the jack and sat back to stare out the window.

  * * *

  Jackson was prepared to hate Vince from the moment he saw him. This was the man who treated Amanda like dirt. He caught a glimpse of him as he stepped out of his vehicle. He was tall, lithe and had good taste in clothes, but those qualities didn’t make him a man. But when he came around the corner of the building and Jackson saw his face it was all he could do not to telegraph his surprise. It was the man in the picture he carried in his shirt pocket. He lowered his eyes, afraid that his expression would give him away. This was the kingpin they’d been seeking for over a month. And he was right here, right now! Jackson waited until he’d gone into the restaurant and took the picture from his pocket. It was un-necessary; he’d memorized every detail of the man’s face a long time ago.

  And then it hit him. The man who ran one of the biggest drug operations in the province was Amanda’s husband. Did she know? His thoughts churned in his head. The man came out and looked directly at him; Jackson steeled himself not to look away, not to betray the emotions that had his stomach in knots. And then Amanda came out and refused to look in his direction.

  As soon as the couple walked around the corner he stood up, went through the restaurant to the kitchen and down the hall leading to the back door. The Hummer was just turning around and it was all he could do to hold himself back. As the vehicle passed he stepped out, and with his iPhone held casually in one hand he took a couple of pictures of the license plate.

  * * *

  Jackson pulled himself together as the vehicle turned onto Loon Lake Drive. His feelings for Amanda had to be put aside now; he had work to do.

  “It was him.” He was already on the phone, speaking to Traynor. “I’d swear it on a stack of bibles.”

  “I believe you.” He could almost hear his boss thinking. “And he waltzed right in?”

  “He called Amanda this morning and told her he was coming to get her.”

  “Amanda. That’s the one you were canoeing with the other night, right?”

  Jackson hesitated.

  “I might have been asleep when you called, but I do remember what you said. You’re not involved with her, are you?”

  Jackson hesitated again and his boss exploded. “Dammit Jackson, you know the rules.”

  “Yes, but–”

  “I won’t ask you how far this has gone, but you know what’ll happen if it turns out she was involved.”

  Jackson’s stomach fell. “Yes, sir, but if you want my opinion–”

  “Not right now, no. You need to step back and focus on your job. I’ll meet you at the coffee shop at seven thirty. Fuller and Dirksen will be with me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Just a moment.” Jackson could hear his boss speaking to someone, and then he came back. “Well, look at this.”

  “Sir?”

  “That photograph you sent me? The Hummer is registered to Vince Reimer.”

  Jackson wasn’t sure where this was going but he didn’t have long to wait. He heard papers being shuffled. “We did some searches on property owners on Sandy Lake as you suggested. Guess who owns the biggest piece of property on Sandy Lake?”

  Jackson felt like he’d been stabbed in the chest but he managed to respond. “Vince Reimer?”

  “Bingo.” Traynor was beginning to enjoy himself. “These guys never cease to amaze me; building a big house like that. He’s made it a lot easier for us to keep track of him.”

  Jackson tried to agree but he couldn’t find his voice. His boss didn’t seem to notice.

  “Okay, see you later.” Traynor disconnected.

  Jackson had to get out of there; he couldn’t breathe. He had the canoe in the water and was part way out into the lake before he realized what he’d done. He took several deep calming breaths of air, slowed down and headed for the narrows between the two lakes.

  One question had been answered. He’d been curious about why Amanda had come up here...hell, he’d even asked her, and had accepted her explanation. But now the pieces were falling into place; she’d been on her way to her cottage. No, he told himself, not her cottage, their cottage. He shook his head. It didn’t make sense that she had accepted Kathy’s offer to work in the kitchen when she had a luxurious cottage waiting for her a few minutes away. What was her game?

  He was through the narrows and into Sandy Lake before he realized it. It was much smaller than Loon Lake. The south shoreline boasted some of the costliest homes in the area, whereas the north shoreline bordered on Crown land and had been left natural. He drew even with Vince’s cottage and looked across the lake. The far shoreline was rugged, but with a little exploring, he could probably find the access point they used. The cottage appeared to be deserted but he kept paddling rather than make it obvious that he was checking out the place. What had Amanda been thinking when he commented on it? More importantly, why hadn’t she taken that opportunity to tell him about her connection to the place? Much as he hated to admit it, she’d been secretive at a time when he’d thought they were connecting. He carried on for a few more minutes and then turned back. He had a few things to do around the boathouse and he wanted to clean up before the meeting in town.

  * * *

  Traynor looked up. “Here he is.”

  The other two agents gave him a nod. They were probably grateful that they could narrow down their search. They’d been hiking in rugged terrain, walking the length of the many streams in the area, looking for the water source that powered the generators for the grow-op.

  Jackson slid into the booth beside Fuller and ordered coffee and a hamburger. While he ate, Traynor finished filling the two agents in.

  Dirksen toyed with the handle on his coffee mug. “Why do you think she was there at the lodge instead of her own place?”

  Jackson shrugged. “I’ve been asking myself the same thing. Their cottage can’t be more than five minutes away from the resort. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  Fuller nudged him. “Maybe it was those baby blues of yours. Maybe she saw something she liked and decided to hang around.”

  “They’re not blue, they’re–” Jackson realized too late that Fuller was ribbing him. “Yeah, right.” He didn’t want to let on, but he’d had the same thought himself and had dismissed it as being fanciful. Driving to town to attend this meeting he’d come to the conclusion that he had to put Amanda out of his mind for the rest of this operation. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was necessary.

  “All right you guys. Now here’s what we’ve learned so far.” Traynor pulled a few sheets of paper out of his jacket pocket but didn’t refer to them. “Our boy Reimer is a real piece of work. He owns eleven clubs in the Lower Mainland. He runs drugs and prostitution out of six of the locations.” He shot a quick glance at Jackson. “He’s been married for less than two years but evidently that doesn’t mean much to him. He has one mistress that we know of living in a condo that he pays for.”

  Jackson was clenching his jaw so hard he thought his teeth might break.

  “Looks like our patience has paid off. We could have busted him any time, but we were waiting to get a line on his supplier and here it turns out he was his own supplier. We’re going to continue scouting for the grow-op, but now we’ll have the advantage now of knowing when he’s on his way. We already have someone watching his place in Vancouver.” He looked at each one of the agents in turn. “Now here’s how we’re going to do this.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “So.”

  Amanda woke with a start. Where was she? They’d passed Hope and were driving on the freeway. Ahead of them, the setting sun splashed the sky with colour.

  “What were you doing there? The fellow from the garage said they picked up the Range Rover at that resort.”

  “I was working in the kitchen.” She sat up a bit straighter. “It was fun, Vince.” Could she get away with a partial truth?

  “I went there after the car slid off the road. I found a puppy and realized it must have come from the resort.” She smiled at the memory. “Turns out I was right.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. How does that lead to working in their kitchen?”

  “When I got there, they’d just had a kitchen fire. You should have seen the state of that kitchen. You never would have allowed it in one of your places.” The flattery seemed to please him. “Anyway, their cook got badly burned in the fire and I must have said something that made them realize I knew my way around a commercial kitchen. They offered me a job in exchange for a cottage.” She decided to expand on her revised version of events. “I realized on the way up there that I was going to be just as lonely at the cottage as I am at home. Especially with you gone, so I told them I’d stay for a week while they found someone else.”

  His knuckles were white on the steering wheel but he didn’t press further. She decided to engage him in some light conversation.

  “So how was the convention?”

  He looked confused for a moment. “Oh, that. It was all right. A bunch of salesmen all trying to outdo each other.”

  “Why did you come home early? Nothing’s wrong, is it?” She didn’t know why she’d asked. He never confided in her about his business affairs.