Savage (A Blood Feud Novel)

Chapter Twenty

Rachel came to the bar the next night.

She wore a red leather long coat and white jeans with red high-heels. Her hair was long and straight. She looked radiant as she approached the table where Richard was sitting at. Richard couldn't help but marvel at the woman.

"Wow," he said.

A bright smile stretched across Rachel's face. She sat down. A male bartender came over, and Richard ordered orange vodka while Rachel went for a Jameson.

"Rachel, you look great," Richard said.

"Same to you," Rachel happily said.

She seemed genuinely happy to see Richard, and he eased up a little bit. This was going to be a good night.

"So, what are you up nowadays?" Rachel asked.

"Well, um, not that much it seems," Richard said.

"You thought about leaving town?"

"Hundreds of times," Richard replied.

Richard didn't expect to reveal anything else about his situation to Rachel. Rachel seemed to be interested.

"Why have you guys become distant?" Rachel asked.

Richard shrugged. "I don't know, to be exact. Things haven't been the same since my mother died, I mean, was murdered. I no longer have the same level of attraction I had to Lena before. She often doesn't want to be in this stinking town half the time."

"So why not just leave and move to someplace else?"

"It's not that simple, I'm afraid."

"Why?"

"I recently made tenure at the school. They're keeping me there permanently. It comes with a good pay increase as well. My friend in Dublin who had promised me the banking job, well his dad recently retired to Spain, and he's moving there too. So that's my situation. Also, I am working on something."

"That's funny," Rachel chuckled. "My partner and I are thinking of spending the year in Spain, specifically Madrid and then in the southern coast, Mallorca."

"Oh, really," Richard said.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I hate this town. I don't want to be here. I'd like to go someplace where it's warm most of the time and fun. We're looking at leaving in March."

"I wish I could go, but there are my job and the Lena situation," Richard said.

"So we just pack and leave!" Rachel suggested.

"I can't," Richard said. "I know I sound like someone who's making excuses, but I'm not."

"You are," Rachel said. "You're full of it."

"What about your relationship, how's that been going for you?" Richard said as an attempt to change the focus of the conversation.

Rachel smiled. "It' going well and like any couple, we have our ups and down. That's life I suppose."

"Does your partner give you trouble?" Richard said.

"As I said, all couples have their problems," Rachel said with the smile still in place. "But I can't say I am not having fun. He's exactly like me so we get on well. Is everything alright with you?"

Richard fell silent for a moment. His thoughts turned to his Dad. It had been months since the two went their separate ways. Now it was Richard who was feeling it.

"I'm alright at the moment," Richard said "It's I'm not used to being alone. I've always had my family, at least one person to talk and see every day. Now, it's all about the adjustment. Having to wake up and there's no one else in the house with you. It sucks sometimes."

"Richard," Rachel said. "I think you need to take time off and go see your dad."

"I know that," Richard said. "I want to see him. I'm not sure if he feels the same way about me."

"What makes you say that?"

"Father and I used to go at each other when I was younger. He wasn't the touchy-feely type nor was he that emotionally involved in me. My mother was the one who gave me most of the emotional and intellectual support."

"That doesn't sound like you had an upbringing with your father," Rosalyn said.

"It was harder sometimes whenever my Mom was out of the house. She was always out there covering things like Clinton, Bush and Blair, and world events."

"Even for a small town paper?" Rachel said.

"You'd be surprised," Richard said. "My mother might have been 'small town,' but at heart, she was a big city girl. Dublin and Paris were her favorite places to go to."

Rachel placed a hand on Richard's shoulder. She felt sympathetic. Of course, it was all part of an act.

"I had a similar situation with my parents," she said. "I know the feeling. Look, why don't we forget our present lives and have some fun. I have two bus tickets to Boston. I have a friend who rents a condo there. We can spend the night at my place and go to Boston for a couple of days and come back the day after."

Richard was surprised by the suggestion. He almost said yes before he caught himself.

"You're having second thoughts?"

"No," Richard said. "Let's do it."

Rachel smiled. "So what is the other thing you said was holding you back?"

Richard frowned. "Can I trust you?"

Rachel took his hand and nodded. "Of course you can. What is it?"

"I've been trying to find my mother's killer," Richard said.

Rachel touched her chest. "Wow! That's a huge deal. Isn't it dangerous? You could get hurt."

Richard shrugged. "I loved my mom, and it is the best I can do for her. That's the reason I fell out with my dad. He doesn't want me to do this."

"So what have you found out?" Rachel asked.

"At first I thought it was a political attack, but I know better now. Someone killed her, and I'm getting closer to that person. I have a witness who just came up. She has been out of town but will be returning soon. She claims she saw a car speed off and can tell me more about it. I have to wait till she returns then find out who killed my mom."

Rachel smiled affectionately at him; it hadn't taken her any extra effort to get what she wanted from him.

"I'm so sure you're getting close to the killer. You will apprehend him or her in no time."