Chapter 19

"What was your plangoing to be if we hadn't found you?" Maggie asked as she sat back down beside Noah.

"We were just waiting for the paperwork we need to start our new lives together," Eric said.

"I originally thought we'd have more time to execute our plan to frame Noah," Valentina said. "To make my murder more believable, my original plan was to go on several dates with Noah first, to build up our relationship."

"Little does she know how badly that part of the plan would have worked out," Maggie murmured, making Noah snort with laughter.

"What was that?" Valentina frowned.

"Nothing," Maggie said. "Please go on."

"I knew we had a big problem when a few days before our first date, I spotted Nick and Johnny spying on me. I didn't let on that I saw them, but I realized that my father must have sent them.

"The fact that they were here meant Eric and I needed to accelerate our plan. So, I used a discreet connection and got ahold of a liquid form of alprazolam, which I used to drug Noah's coffee on our date. Eric was waiting not far away so that as soon as Noah got woozy, we could take him back to my place. Once he passed out, my plan was to leave him there with the evidence of my murder."

"Oooh," Noah said. "That's why you got so angry when I spilled the coffee?"

"Yes," Valentina smiled grimly. "Thanks to you spilling it all over the shop floor, my perfect plan took an even bigger twist. While you and that coffee shop lady were mopping up the mess, I called Eric and made arrangements for him to get more of the drug. That's why I suggested we extend our date into dinner."

"Ah," Maggie said. "So, when Eric showed up at the restaurant, he passed you the drug?"

"Right," Eric said, looking embarrassed. "I slipped it to Tina, and she slipped it into his drink when he went out to get her sweater."

"Well, at least now I know how the drug got into my system," Noah said.

"So, all the stuff you did after the coffee shop...going to dinner, the sunset cruise, you were really just waiting for the drug to take full effect, waiting for Noah to pass out?" Maggie said.

"Yes," Valentina said, then added with a shake of her head, "He lasted much longer than I ever thought he would."

Valentina and Eric sat back down, and he put his arm back around her, pulling her close again.

"The sunset cruise almost blew it for us," she said, glancing at Eric. "I never expected Nick and Johnny to make such an overt move like that. I thought I'd been convincing about my plans. But apparently, my father either figured out I was lying about my extended bachelorette getaway party, or he wasn't going to take any chances that I might mess up his precious peace treaty."

Something connected in Maggie's mind, and she snapped her fingers. "The bachelorette party!"

Valentina tilted her head. "What about it?"

"We heard Nick mention something about someone named Clarissa and how you'd lied about the bachelorette getaway."

Eric shook his head. "That must have been it, Tina. Your father would have known that there was no way you'd have celebrated without Clarissa there."

"But I couldn't risk letting anyone in on our plan," Valentina said, and took a deep sigh. "What a mess."

"So, when Nick and Johnny confronted you on the sunset cruise, they were trying to force you to go back with them to your father right then?" Maggie said.

"Yes," Valentina said. "It was sheer dumb luck that the crowd happened to be super fans of Noah's." For the first time that night, she aimed a legitimate smile in Noah's direction. "They created the perfect diversion. But Nick knew we'd be at the hospital. So, while Noah was getting examined, I saw Nick's stupid black SUV pull into the parking lot. That's when I got the brilliant idea to call the cops. The two fools came into the waiting room and tried to start up with me again in front of witnesses. And they were still at it when the cops arrived."

Eric grinned. "They got hauled away just before Noah was released. So, Valentina was able to get Noah into her car. She drove a bit up the road and then parked to call me."

"I realized they were likely tracking my phone," Valentina said. "So, I called Eric to let him know and that I was going to ditch my phone in a nearby garbage can. I told him to meet me back at the condo so we could grab our burner phones, go-bags, and get everything set up for my disappearance.

"While I was talking with Eric," Valentina said, with a glance toward Noah, "I didn't even notice that you'd gotten out of the car. But when I hung up, I saw that you suddenly had this furry guy with you." Valentina reached down to scratch Boon's head. He nuzzled her hand, and Maggie noticed how Valentina's expression softened almost as much as it did when she was looking at Eric.

"You were getting even more loopy, and you insisted on putting the dog into the back seat of the car. I didn't want to waste time arguing with you, so I just gave in and drove you both back to my condo. Eric and I got you and the dog inside where you finally passed out. We set up all the evidence for the murder, locked the dog in the closet, and left."

"In my car?" Noah asked with an arch of his brow.

"Yeah, about that," Valentina smiled again. "Once Maggie told me she was arranging my date with you, I put another part of my plan in motion. I used a hacker I know to discover your full name and address. He altered the electronic records and databases to put the Porsche to your name. He created all the necessary documentation, too. I figured you suddenly owning an expensive Porsche might help implicate you in my disappearance. Besides, Eric and I knew from the start that we couldn't travel in it once I officially disappeared. It was too obvious.

"Anyway, I took your key and had Eric drive us in his car back to the coffee shop to get your car. I drove it and he followed me until we were outside of town, where we dumped it.

"Wow," Noah said drily. "You really thought of everything."

"Clearly not everything," Valentina said. "I didn't expect my father's men to come looking for me like this. And I certainly didn't expect you two to find me alive. My perfect plan has fallen to pieces."

"Okay, well, we've got to come up with a new plan," Maggie said. She rose and began to pace in the tiny room for several moments, thinking. Finally, she stopped moving. "Valentina, I'm sorry, but I just don't see any way around this. You've got to go to the police."

"No," Valentina said.

"But Noah could go to jail!" Maggie cried.

"That's unfortunate," Valentina said. "And I am sorry, Noah. But this is too important. I can't have Nick and Johnny thinking that I'm alive."

Valentina once again picked up the gun that was lying on the bed. "Look," she said. "I won't kill you. But we have to prevent you from talking to the police or anyone else before we're safely gone." She looked at Eric. "We can tie them up and force them to stay here until we get the paperwork. Then we leave their cell phones here and drop them off way outside of town on our way out of here." She glanced back at Noah. "I doubt the police will believe the man accused of my murder when he says that he saw me alive."

Valentina's face once again held no emotion. But Eric looked miserable.

"Wait, wait," Maggie said, whirling to face Valentina directly. "How about this? What if you let us go? Then Noah and I tell the police what you've told us. Noah has friends on the police force who I'm sure will help us. We get them to pretend that Valentina's dead body has been found, and they arrest Noah for your murder."

"What?" Noah cried.

"Hang on!" Maggie said, lifting a hand to forestall him. "If we do this, Nick will believe that Valentina really is dead and that you are the murderer. He and Johnny will report all this back to Valentina's father, and they'll leave Whispering Pines. Once they're gone, we bring you both out of hiding and you tell the police and the F.B.I. everything, about your father, the Partnership, everything. And this time, before you do it, we get them all to provide guarantees that witness protection will work for you."

Valentina was already shaking her head, but she stopped when Eric laid his hand over her free one.

"Tina," he said gently. "You know it's the right thing to do. We can't start our new life together in good conscience knowing that we potentially sent an innocent man to jail. That makes us no better than your father or anyone else in the Partnership."

Valentina gazed at him without speaking for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, she lowered her head and the gun, revealing her vulnerability yet again as she whispered, "Eric, I'm afraid."

"I am, too," Eric admitted. And for the second time that night, he eased the gun from her fingers. Then he wrapped her in his arms.

After a long moment, he looked at Noah and Maggie over the top of Valentina's head. "Before we do all of this, can I ask a favor?"

"What is it?" Noah asked.

"Would you give us a bit of time to just be alone together before...everything changes? I promise we won't run off."

Maggie could sense the sincerity in the young man's eyes, but Valentina's face remained hidden against Eric's shoulder.

"What about you, Valentina?" Maggie whispered.

Valentina took a deep breath and lifted her head, turning to face them. "I—I promise, too. I swear on my mother's grave, we won't run."

Maggie and Noah exchanged a look, an unspoken agreement passed between them.

"All right," Noah said. "We can do that. How much time do you need?"

Now it was Eric and Valentina who exchanged a look. Then Valentina said, "Just a day."

"How about if we contact you tomorrow evening at some point, as soon as we're ready to put your plan in motion?" Eric said.

"That works," Noah said.

Noah and Eric exchanged cell phone numbers, then Noah, Maggie, and Boon got ready to leave.

"I really am sorry about all of this, Noah," Valentina said; her gaze was now steady, her expression determined. "You have to understand that I grew up in a very different world from the rest of you. But with this man at my side," here she nudged Eric with her shoulder and gave him a small smile, "maybe there's hope that he can make a good woman of me yet."

Eric looked down at her, smiling tenderly. Then he lifted her left hand and kissed the spot just beneath where the ring glittered on her third finger. "You're already a good woman, Tina," he said. "You just needed me to remind you of that."